Local government trade unions have accepted the national employers’ 2023 pay offer, which equates to a 9.42% pay rise for the lowest-paid workers.
Council employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive a flat-rate pay rise of £1,925, which will be backdated to 1 April 2023. This equates to a 3.88% increase for staff on higher salaries.
Initially, unions GMB, Unison and Unite, rejected the pay offer – meaning that all three unions moved to industrial action ballots.
Since then, unions Unison and GMB have accepted the pay offer, whilst Unite refused and will continue to take industrial action in a small number of councils.
In a letter to councils’ chief executives on 1 November, Naomi Cooke, employers’ secretary, outlined that this is the “third consecutive year [that] Unite has refused to have its details included in the 2023 National Joint Council pay agreement circular”.
However, a majority decision to accept the pay offer on the unions’ side has been reached as Unison has 31 seats and GMB has 16 seats, whilst Unite has 11.
Cooke stated that Unite’s decision to reject the pay offer is “disappointing” and added that the union anticipates taking strike actions at a small number of councils in individual service areas, such as waste, refuse, cleansing, housing repairs, etc.
“The National Employers are concerned that Unite’s action is undermining employee and industrial relations (at both national and local levels) and disregards the properly constituted national collective bargaining arrangements of which it has to date been an integral part,” she continued.
Clare Keogh, unite’s national officer, said: “Unite’ s ongoing local authority disputes will continue and the union will be giving our members rock solid support where they are fighting for improved terms and conditions at the local level.
“Unite has already secured multiple local wins for our members in different councils across England and Wales. We will continue to back our members 100% who are in dispute so we can build on these locals wins further.”
Commenting on GMB’s decision, Sharon Wilde, national officer, said: “GMB balloted more than 50.000 local government and schools workers for strike action.
“The message was clear; while members are angry and strike mandates were achieved in hundreds of workplaces, the majority are struggling financially and need the money paid into pay packets now.
“GMB’s National Local Government and Schools Committees met on 31 October 2023 to discuss the ballot results and next steps. It was agreed to accept the 2023/24 pay offer.”
Wilde added that GMB will now focus its attention on pay for 2024/25.
Cooke’s letter also detailed that an agreement has also been reached on the chief executive 2023 pay award for a 3.5% pay rise.
Room151 has also contacted Unison for a response.
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