Unions prepare for fight over local government pay

Care workers, refuse collectors, social workers, teaching assistants, community workers, street cleaners and other local government workers are preparing to fight over the national employers’ local government pay offer for 2023-24.

Unite general union members working for local authorities could take strike action as early as this summer, after overwhelmingly rejecting the offer of a £1,925 pay increase for all staff, which equates to a rise of between 3.88% and 9.42%. Three-quarters of the union’s local government members who voted in their ballot have already rejected the offer.

More than 200,000 local authority workers in the GMB general union also returned a 64% majority in favour of rejecting the offer. Sharon Wilde, GMB national officer, commented: “If negotiations aren't reopened and a revised offer made, we will move to industrial action ballots in some areas.” The largest local authority union, UNISON, is asking its members whether they want to take strike action on the matter from May.