PUBLIC SECTOR
Pay freeze for 1.4m local council workers
Council employers have informed local government trade unions that they are unable to offer any increase in pay from April 2010. This is in response to the unions’ claim (unison, GMB and Unite) for a rise of 2.5% or £500 a year, whichever is the greater.
The announcement covers 1.4 million local government employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The decision does not affect the payment of increments.
The national employers have also decided to impose a pay freeze on chief executives, chief officers, craft workers and workshops for the blind, though at this stage no pay claim has been lodged in any of these negotiating bodies.
Last year the majority of council staff were awarded a 1% pay deal. The lowest paid staff, earning up to £13,703 a year were awarded a 1.25% increase. Council chief executives and chief officers were not given an annual pay award.
A circular published by Local Government Employers said:
“The employers recognise that, like councils, many employees have struggled to cope with the effects of the recession. However, the employers face a stark choice; they want to help councils protect services and offering a national pay increase for 2010/11 would severely compromise that aim. The employers have also been influenced by the fact that many councils will see their pay bills grow significantly this year in any case through their contractual obligation to meet the cost of annual increments.”
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Want to know more?
A circular explains the employers' decision – you can read it online at www.lge.gov.uk/lge/core/page.do?pageId=119211.
Local Government Employers represents the interests of 375 local authorities in England and Wales as employers and has a key role in providing the main interface between employers and trade unions for consultation and negotiations on pay, pensions, workforce issues and advice and social partnership. For more details visit www.lge.gov.uk.