Union to ballot on 1.75% offer
Public services union UNISON has announced that it plans to ballot for industrial action over pay next month among the 400,000 council and school staff it represents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The union reports that an overwhelming majority (79%) of its members who took part in a month-long consultation exercise voted to reject the 1.75% offer, which falls well short of the 10% claim put forward for this year with general unions GMB and Unite.
UNISON deputy head of local government Mike Short said: “Council and school employees have seen the value of their pay reduced by a quarter since 2010. The recent hike in the cost of living means their wages are falling further and further behind. An offer of just 1.75% is totally inadequate for workers who’re already among the lowest paid in the country.”