Council-employed yoga, aerobics and Pilates instructors in Colchester are voting on strike action after nearly a decade without a pay rise, according to Unison.
The yoga and Pilates instructors are on £25 per-session, while the aerobics instructors are on £22.50.
Colchester City Council reviewed the pay of the Leisure World instructors last year for the first time since 2015 and offered an extra £2.50 to the aerobics instructors only.
The instructors rejected the rate saying it fails to recognise the long stretches of preparation they put into classes.
Unison Eastern area organiser Emma Aboubaker said: ‘Instructors are bending over backwards to provide the best service they can for people trying to get fit and healthy in Colchester. But bosses can’t stretch to more than one pay rise a decade.
‘Fitness instructors provide a vital service for the city’s public health, but they’re also bringing paying residents into leisure centres. They deserve a proper pay rise.’
Pam Donnelly, chief executive of Colchester City Council, said: ‘We are obviously disappointed that instructor employees at our sports facilities are balloting on industrial action. We have provided an updated pay offer to them and hope to reach a resolution that means our wellbeing services to residents are not disrupted in any way.’
