UNISON demands 'Fair Pay Now'

UNISON, the UK’s largest union is calling for “Fair Pay Now” for council workers, as a new survey reveals that hundreds and thousands of workers are suffering from a whole raft of extra cuts to their terms and conditions.

On top of a three year pay freeze, the survey, which covers 264 councils across England and Wales, shows car allowances, weekend enhancements, overtime and mileage rates, as well as redundancy pay are being hardest hit. But significant numbers reported cuts to contracted hours and pay, shift and call out payments, bank holiday rates and 23% reported school staff being moved onto less favourable “term-time only” contracts.

Heather Wakefield, UNISON Head of Local Government, said:

“Local Government workers and their families are really hurting. The three year pay freeze means that, since 2009, pay has fallen by a shocking 13%.

“Our survey shows that, to add insult to injury, council workers are also seeing their terms and conditions being slowly but surely chipped away. Many of those being hit hardest are the low paid working in home and residential care as well as sheltered housing and schools, where shift payments are a critical element of their incomes.

“We are asking for fair pay now to restore pay levels and bring them in line with inflation.”