Local government workers hit from all sides say unions
17 February 2011
Local government unions UNISON, UNITE and GMB representing 1.6
million workers said today that low paid council workers wages were
being stripped down to minimum wage rates by the rising cost of
living, cuts to terms and conditions, and now a pay freeze for a
second year running – even for those on the lowest wages.
Over 100,000 council workers earn under £6.50 per hour, and despite
the Chancellor’s promised £250 pay boost for those earning under
£21,000 – these low paid workers will not get a penny more.
A survey* out today showed the average worker is £750 worse off due
to the rising cost of living. Inflation is currently hitting 5.1%,
but is climbing high on the basic essentials such food, travel and
fuel that low paid workers spend most of their money on.
Many council workers are being hit by charges between £500-£700 a
year to park at work, at the same time as car allowances are being
cut to as low as 40 pence an hour. Councils are also freezing
increments, cutting sick pay and annual leave.
Next year, pension’s payments could rise by 50%, which would see
those on the lowest pay of £6.30 contributing an extra 56p per
hour. To add insult to injury, heavy job losses means staff are
working harder that ever - doing very much more for very much less
under the Coalition government.
Heather Wakefield, UNISON Head of Local Government, said:
"A toxic cocktail of rising cost of living, cuts to terms and
conditions, and now frozen pay means council workers are seeing
their money vanish before their eyes. 70% of council workers earn
less than £21,000 and it is a disgrace that even they will not get
any help to make ends meet.
"This shows that the Chancellor’s promise of helping the low paid
by giving them a modest £250 pay boost was a sham. This cannot go
on indefinitely – council workers and their families are really
struggling."
Peter Allenson, Unite officer for Local Government, said:
"Unite members will be furious at the employers’ response to our
fully justified pay claim, submitted some time ago. Previous years
pay freezes which actually are pay cuts, combined with cuts to
terms and conditions at local level, and higher than expected
inflation which eats away at their living standards, mean that
local government really is the employer of last resort.
"This will re-bound on the employers though with people leaving
when they have the chance. When treated like this, who can blame
them?"
GMB National Secretary, Brian Strutton, said:
"GMB members will be sickened by the imposition of another year's
pay freeze. These are some of the lowest paid and hardest working
people - home helps, social workers, school dinner ladies, refuse
collectors. With inflation still running high the 1.6 million
council workers have now had a 10% real pay cut over the past 3
years leaving many of them in poverty. On top of huge job losses
and attacks on their conditions and pensions, it is abject misery
in local government while fat cat bankers still rake in the
bonuses."
*Survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
