Council unions make progress

(27/10/08) Trade unions representing more than a million council workers in England, Northern Ireland and Wales have taken another step towards resolving the long running local government pay dispute.Final settlement of the deal will depend on the results of arbitration, which both sides are waiting for. However, last week saw an initial meeting with employers and ACAS to agree the terms of reference.The unions are hoping to hold further talks this week.UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield said that the union believes that it has a strong case for a fairer deal for local government staff, and is hopeful for an early decision from ACAS.A full report on progress will be given to a joint trade union meeting on 3 November.Meanwhile, local government workers are still on track to get a 2.45% interim pay rise before Christmas -- agreed by employers earlier this month to help those struggling to cope with rising costs.

A fair deal for local government workers