UNISON members in schools & local government have rejected the Employers’ offer of a 1.75% pay rise in a consultative ballot. As a result, UNISON will now ballot members in early December to see if they are willing to take industrial action in an effort to improve the offer. In the mean time, it’s important to check your details are up to date, tell your colleagues and get involved.
UNISON is to ballot for industrial action among the 400,000 council and school staff it represents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland over what the union says is an “inadequate” pay offer from employers. Only members in Essex Fire & Rescue will be balloted in our branch. For legal reasons members in schools cannot be included in the ballot.
An overwhelming majority of UNISON members who took part in a month-long consultation exercise voted to reject the 1.75% offer. The union says this falls well short of the 10% claim put forward for this year with GMB and Unite.
The strength of feeling amongst the members that voted is resounding – 79%! This is not surprising considering what an inadequate, unfair offer it is. Over the last 18 months you have gone above and beyond to keep vital services going, often risking your own safety to do so. Yet, you were offered a real terms pay cut (considering inflation has been above 3% for some time now), and the value of local government pay has fallen by 25% since 2010.
UNISON believes it is not too late for local government employers to think again and improve the increase offered to staff who have worked through the worst of times.
Members will now be asked to vote ‘yes’ to taking action in support of the union’s campaign for better pay. Read more on the campaign hub.
