Martin Ford 29 January 2026

£2.8bn wages hike looms amid unions pay demands

£2.8bn wages hike looms amid unions pay demands image
Unite strike (c) Unite

Local government’s wage bill would have to surge by £2.8bn to meet the demands laid down in unions’ pay claim for 2026-27, it has been estimated.

The figure represents an increase of almost 11% on current levels were the demands of Unison, GMB and Unite met in full, according to national employers' figures seen by The MJ.

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