Council unions register dispute with employers

Local government unions have registered a formal dispute with the LGE employers’ organisation over three measures which will have a detrimental impact on members providing local services.

The dispute is over the pay freeze, the refusal of the employers to pay the £250 announced by the chancellor to those earning less than £21,000, and the issuing to councils of the document Reducing workforce costs.

They have also been encouraging local councils to reach local agreements to reduce pay, reduce conditions, and use interns and volunteers. The unions say this is a “green light” to tearing up nationally negotiated collective agreements.

Heather Wakefield, head of local government at public services union UNISON, said: “We have registered a dispute to make it clear to the employers that we do not go along with any of their responses to the coalition’s cuts.

“Local government workers’ pay and conditions are already the worst in the public sector and with inflation at 5% and other public sector groups getting pay rises, we would have expected a pay increase and the £250 for the three quarters of the workforce earning less than £21,000.

“The employers have said that they have issued Reducing workforce costs because we would not agree to reduce pay and conditions within the Green Book. That is unacceptable and goes against the spirit of the NJC, which is to resolve disputes through negotiation.”

www.unison.org.uk/localgov/pages_view.asp?did=11563