Local government strike ballot: prepare for action
Time For Real Change supporters welcome the decision of UNISON’s Local Government NJC committee for England, Cymru/Wales and Northern Ireland to commit to a strike ballot in the light of the Local Government Employers offer of a flat rate pay offer of £1,925 for full time workers. This decision reflects the ongoing cost of living crisis and the burden that it places on the shoulders of our members.
The Retail Price Index in January 2023 stood at some 13.4% while food price inflation stood at 16.7% in the same month. This puts the employer’s offer into perspective. For the lowest paid members the pay offer represents some 9.42% for the lowest spinal point and just 3.88% for the highest paid. The employers offer means that every single one of our members would receive a pay cut. UNISON’s claim was for 12.7%. The employers are trying to get away with an offer which is a country mile short of that.
In the past we have argued for flat rate pay rises. As a straightforward way of addressing low pay. But this pay offer falls far short of an acceptable deal. Essentially, it’s a slap in the face for our members, who are increasingly concentrated in front line services dealing with the fallout from years of Tory austerity, the aftermath of Covid and a worsening economic situation.
The cost of living crisis affects all workers. This is evidenced by the waves of industrial action that have taken place in recent months. UNISON prides itself on campaigning against low pay and in championing the interests of our women members, our black and disabled members and our young members who are concentrated in the lowest paid jobs.
We welcome the decision of the NJC committee to ballot for industrial action on a disaggregated basis, because we recognise the importance of the union giving a clear lead to its members. We also want to make it clear to the employers that we are ready to campaign and fight for a substantial pay rise that addresses the real rate of inflation and the ongoing and chronic low pay issues that our members face.
We want to see the whole of UNISON’s full-time apparatus and every branch committee in local government striving to maximise turn out and ensure that UNISON meets the threshold for industrial action. UNISON needs to take its place in the leadership of the struggle to defend public service workers. Many activists will remember the enormous campaign that we waged to maximise the turnout in the strike ballot over Pensions in 2011. We need to repeat that campaign but on a higher level. Furthermore, we believe that we must coordinate our campaign with our sister unions to ensure the maximum unity and the maximum impact of any action.
It is evident that the decision of the employers to offer the current deal reflects the current mood across the public sector. Other unions have flatly rejected below inflation pay deals. The growing pressure within the union that Time for Real Change Supporters are seeking to articulate has also had an impact on the UNISON NJC Committee which leads the union’s negotiations with the employers. This pay campaign isn’t about 1% here or there, with spiralling inflation any deal which comes out with less than the rate of inflation will have a serious impact on members.
The Local Government Employers had an opportunity this week to look again at their pay offer and seriously address the cost of living crisis. We understand that they failed to increase their offer. We call upon all active UNISON members to campaign for a rejection of this inadequate offer and for all local government members to vote to fight to defend their living standards and support the call for industrial action in the forthcoming ballot. The strength of our union lies in the unity in action of our members.
Let’s get organised and fight for to defend our wages
Unite the struggles
For an end to low pay