Unison to strike over pay

Members voted to strike by 55% to 45%

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Unison's local government members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
have voted to strike.

Members voted for a programme of sustained strike action by a margin of 55% to 45% over the 2.45% pay offer.
 
The union's negotiating team will decide tomorrow (24 June) what action to recommend to the national strike committee that meets on Friday 27 June.
 
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said members were "willing to fight".
"They are fed up and angry that they are expected to accept pay cut after pay cut, while bread and butter prices go through the roof." 
 
He also attacked "spiralling fuel costs" that saw some workers "subsidising their employers".

Case for pay rise 'indisputable'

Unison head of local government Heather Wakefield warned of "escalating strike action". "Their case for a realistic pay increase is indisputable."

According to the union, almost 250,000 earn less than £6.50 an hour and nearly 600,000 workers were balloted, including social workers, binmen and surveyors.

Brian Baldwin, chair of the Employers' Side of the NJC, claimed that only 13% of their membership voted for strike action, adding 2.45% was the "final offer".

"The settlement on the table was affordable both to the taxpayer and councils while at the same time made sure that local government continued to be an attractive place to work.

"If the pay settlement set any higher, then councils will be forced into making unpalatable choices between cutting front line services and laying off staff. Neither unions nor employers would want either of these options."