All council staff under “Green Book” terms and conditions have been offered a 1% pay increase.
The increase would take affect from 1 April 2014, with those on salaries under £14,880 (full time equivalent) receiving a slightly higher increase. The National Employers said the deal was fair for staff and taxpayers considering the ‘financial pressures’ faced by local government.
Cllr Sian Timoney, chair of the Employers’ Side, said: ‘There is a broad consensus among councils that there should be a pay offer to staff this year. At a time when local government is tackling the biggest cuts in living memory, this offer balances our commitment to increase the pay of our hardworking employees with the responsibility we have to address the significant financial pressures we face. We believe that this is a fair deal for employees, given the limits of what we can afford, and a fair deal for the taxpayers and residents who use and pay for the vital services which local government provides.’
However, UNISON called the offer “meagre” and is to consult its local government members over industrial action.
It says around 50,000 of the lowest paid local government workers will receive a rise that is slightly above inflation, while the remainder of the workforce - around 90% - will receive just 1%. For these workers, Unison says the offer represents a real terms cut in basic pay of almost 20% since the Coalition came to power, following three consecutive years of pay freezes followed by below inflation rises in 2013 and 2014.
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