Vote to fight on local government pay

To fight back against the local government authorities rotten pay offer.

NB: If you sign the statement it woulld be useful if you could say which union branch you are from in the 'comment' section and your union position.

Statement on Local Government NJC dispute

We believe that the decision taken by UNISON’s NJC committee to suspend strike action on 14 October and consult on new “proposals” is a profound mistake that leaves Local Government workers facing further real cuts in pay and undermines the battle against government imposed pay restraint.

The proposal, of a 2.2% increase for most workers over two years with more for the very lowest paid, delivers no more than the 1% already offered for most workers in 2014/2015 and slightly less than 1.2% for 2015/16. It effectively accepts pay restraint not only this year but through the first year of the next government.

Anyone looking at the detail of the proposal will be shocked that it can be seriously considered as a basis for a settlement:

• 2.2% increase payable from 1/1/2015, covering pay years 2014/15 and 2015/2016.
• Larger increases for the very lowest paid on Spinal column points 5 – 10 (from 8.56% to 2.32%)
• No back pay but unconsolidated payments of £100 for most workers, £150 for scp 8-10 and £325 for scp 5-7
• Further small unconsolidated payments in April 2015 to bring the amount paid up to the equivalent of 1% for 2014/15

The proposal fails to deliver the Living Wage for the lowest paid – and indeed in those authorities where it has already been achieved the lowest paid could get no increase at all. 

Calling off the action just as health workers were set to strike as part of a coordinated week of action leading up to the TUC demonstration “Britain Needs a Pay Rise” on the basis of such a proposal, that the NJC committee themselves could not recommend to members,  makes no sense.

We welcome the fact that Manchester branch has already circulated a motion calling for rejection which will be considered at their branch committee on Monday 13 October, and that other branches like Tower Hamlets have already agreed to campaign for rejection.

We call for regions and branches to exercise their democratic right to recommend and campaign for the rejection of the proposals and the reinstatement of industrial action, coordinated with other unions where possible, and to use the full resources at their disposal to do so.

All in a personal capacity

John McLoughlin, Local Government Service Group Executive

Jane Armitage, Local Government Service Group Executive

Huw Williams, Local Government Service Group Executive

David Hughes, Local Government Service Group Executive

Mike Forster, Local Government Service Group Executive

Jon Rogers, National Executive

Helen Davies, National Executive

Jon Woods, Chair, Portsmouth City

Ben Drake, Chair, York City

Terry Shiels, General Convenor, York City

Tim Sneller, Chair, Southend

Berny Parkes (Dorset County),

Lucinda Dixon (Bath & NE Somerset),

Belinda Burton (Somerset County)

Tony Barnsley, Joint Branch Secretary, Sandwell UNISON General Branch

Andrew Berry, Labour Link Committee

Ameen Hadi, Treasurer Salford City Unison

George Binette, Branch Secretary Camden Unison

Model motions for reference:

Motion for Manchester Branch to be considered 13 October 2014

Pay Dispute

This Branch Executive condemns the National decision to suspend the strike planned and organised for 14th October based on the employers latest pay proposals which do not come anywhere near to addressing our pay claim and are nowhere near to even covering the current inflation rate and that expected next year.

This Branch Executive agrees to raise our objections at Regional and National level to the last minute decision to call off the action agreed by members. If the proposals were agreed this would lock the union into taking no action on pay for at least another two years.

The National consultation on these pitiful and derisory proposals is due to commence on 20th October through individual Branch ballots.

This Branch agrees to use all Branch resources necessary to campaign amongst members to urge them to reject the proposals and to return to industrial action if necessary to secure a decent pay rise and to work with other Branches and Regions where possible to achieve a national rejection of the proposals.

Motion agreed Tower Hamlets Branch 10 October 2014

This branch condemns the decision taken by UNISON’s NJC committee to suspend strike action on 14 October and consult on new “proposals”. We believe that this is a profound mistake that leaves Local Government workers facing further real cuts in pay and undermines the battle against government imposed pay restraint.

The proposal, of a 2.2% increase for most workers over two years with more for the very lowest paid, delivers no more than the 1% already offered for most workers in 2014/2015 and slightly less than 1.2% for 2015/16. It effectively accepts pay restraint not only this year but through the first year of the next government.

We believe that what is proposed cannot be seriously considered as a basis for a settlement:

• 2.2% increase payable from 1/1/2015, covering pay years 2014/15 and 2015/2016.
• Larger increases for the very lowest paid on Spinal column points 5 – 10 (from 8.56% to 2.32%)
• No back pay but unconsolidated payments of £100 for most workers, £150 for scp 8-10 and £325 for scp 5-7.
• Further small unconsolidated payments in April 2015 to bring the amount paid up to the equivalent of 1% for 2014/15

The proposal fails to deliver the Living Wage for the lowest paid – and indeed in those authorities where it has already been achieved the lowest paid could get no increase at all.

Calling off the action just as health workers were set to strike as part of a coordinated week of action leading up to the TUC demonstration “Britain Needs a Pay Rise” on the basis of such a proposal, that the NJC committee themselves could not recommend to members,  makes no sense.

We agree:

1. To recommend rejection of the proposals and reinstatement of industrial action, coordinated with other unions where possible.
2. To use all the resources of the branch to campaign for this in the consultation process
3.  To urge regions and branches  to exercise their democratic right to recommend and campaign for the same
4. To continue to build solidarity for health workers, civil servants and others still due to take action on pay and to build for the TUC “Britain Needs a Pay Rise” demonstration on 18 October