Unite has today (25 March) responded with dismay to this year's local government pay offer.

The offer of 3.3 per cent from 1 April has been presented as “full and final” by the national employers without any meaningful negotiation with Unite or its sister unions.

Unite believes this offer represents a real terms pay cut and does not address historic problems with low pay for the local authorities sector.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Our members in local authorities have endured years of real terms pay cuts and yet again this year's pay offer falls completely short.

"Council workers must no longer be penalised for a crisis not of their making. Austerity is a political choice and the national employers must change tack and invest in frontline public sector workers.”

Unite is set to meet with its members in the coming weeks to obtain their views and discuss next steps.

Unite national officer for local authorities Clare Keogh said: “This is a disappointing offer which falls far short of our pay claim and is yet another real terms pay cut.

“To add insult to injury local authority workers will be angry that the national employers have refused to meaningfully negotiate on all aspects of the workers' claim.”

Cuts to local council services and budgets have led to local government workers seeing their pay decrease by around 30 per cent in real terms since 2010. As well as worsening pay and conditions, councils have also had a problem with recruiting and retaining workers.

Unite is currently running its Fair Funding Now for Local Government campaign, which calls on the Labour government to do the right thing and give better funding for local councils by offering them debt and interest relief.

ENDS

For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite press officer Natasha Wynarczyk on 07970081524 

Email: natasha.wynarczyk@unitetheunion.org