Unions prepare to walk out over below-inflation pay offer
A strike by council workers will definitely go ahead on 16 and 17 July, Unison confirmed today (Friday 27 June).
The public services union said industrial action would involve 600,000 local government members across the country, including social workers, librarians, school meals workers, refuse collectors, surveyors and teaching assistants.
In Hammersmith & Fulham, the council said it was not yet clear how many workers would take part in the strike and which services would be affected.
But Council Leader, Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, said H&F was prepared for the walk-out: "It is impossible to predict the level of support for the strike but we have tried and tested contingency plans in place to ensure that vital services run as smoothly as possible. As part of this effort, we will be asking the trade unions for exemptions for services affecting vulnerable people."
Council employees are walking out to protest against this year’s pay offer.
“They offered us all a paltry 2% rising to 2.45%. Basically a pay cut as it is less than inflation,” say members on the Hammersmith & Fulham Unison branch website.
Local union members say H&F’s Chief Executive and other Directors enjoyed salary increases of between 5% and 8% last year.
According to ‘The Town Hall Rich List 2008’, published by the Taxpayers’ Alliance,
Hammersmith & Fulham Council's Chief Executive was paid a salary of £175,000 in 2005-6, rising to £185,000 in 2006-7 – an increase of 5.5%.
Unison says 250,000 council workers across the country earn less than £6.50 an hour, and most of them are women.
The union wants a 6% pay rise or 50p extra an hour, whichever is greater.
"The employers must realise that we mean business. They must also understand they can resolve this dispute by coming up with a decent offer. Our members are loyal public service workers and our case for fair pay is strong," said Unison’s general secretary, Dave Prentis.
"This decision (to strike) has not been taken lightly, but years of pay cuts and recent hikes in fuel, food and housing costs have left them with little choice," Prentis said.
But the chairman of the local government employers' negotiators, Brian Baldwin, warned: "If the pay settlement is set any higher, then councils will be forced into making unpalatable choices between cutting front line services and laying off staff. Neither unions nor employers want either of these options.”
27 June 2008