Local Government workers need a fair pay rise!

Council workers have suffered more than a decade of pay cuts and freezes. These workers have seen a real terms’ pay cut of an average of 25.8% since 2009, meaning an average of over £11,000 has been lost in pay during this period.

On top of these cuts, workers in local government are now suffering through a cost of living crisis, facing the fastest rising prices in over a generation. The cost-of-living crisis is hitting council workers very hard; many already can’t afford to make ends meet, and spiralling food costs and energy bills will more than swallow the current pay offer being proposed.

When asked, Unite members working for local authorities told us how the current crisis is impacting them;

- Almost half of local government workers are struggling to pay for essential services such as heating, electricity and water;
- 30% told us that they were struggling to afford basics such as food and clothing;
- 23% of respondents were skipping meals due to the cost of living crisis, and;
- 6% were even having to use food banks to support themselves and their families.

The National Employers have not met with the Unions to meaningfully negotiate over what a fair pay offer looks like.

We know that the Westminster government is responsible for deep cuts to council funding and that the sector is being deliberately underfunded. But this cannot be an excuse to continue attacking the pay and conditions of council workers.

We call on the National Employers to:

• Engage with the trade unions and enter into meaningful discussions over a fair pay offer for local government workers
• Publicly demand that the government provides appropriate funding for local councils to ensure that they do not have to choose between service cuts or pay cuts