Local Government Pay: Fight For The 5% Claim, Fully Funded

Local Government Pay: Fight For The 5% Claim, Fully Funded

- Glenn Kelly

Over a million council and school workers have been waiting to see if there would be any relief from their constant falling living standards. Their pay has fallen by 21% in real terms since 2010.

After a decade of little or no pay awards and the unions not delivering more, it is entirely understandable that there will be union members who think that the 2% now being offered is ok.

But the brutal truth is that it is in reality yet another pay cut, and one that can’t be recommended.

In June 2016 local government unions Unison, Unite and the GMB submitted a claim for 5% for all (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) with the promise that they would fight to smash the pay cap.

After the general election result the government came under increasing pressure to break the pay cap across the public sector and even the local government employers were supporting the claim for higher pay.

The latter then announced their pay offer to the unions on 5 December, breaking the 1% pay cap.

Less than 20p

All workers earning over £10.27 an hour are being offered a 2% rise this year and 2% next year. However, this is just 20p an hour increase at the bottom of the grades, before tax and national insurance deductions.