Trade unions


Unions slam 'woefully low' council pay offer 17/04/2020 The Government should provide extra funding to give council workers a 'proper' pay rise during the pandemic crisis, trade unions have said.
Refuse workers in Wirral walk out over coronavirus fears 08/04/2020 Refuse collectors in Wirral have refused to work after claiming Biffa Waste Services failed to introduce strict social distancing measures.
Scottish unions blast 'inconsistent' way councils are handling coronavirus 02/04/2020 Trade unions in Scotland have criticised the ‘inconsistent’ approach to protecting council staff from coronavirus.
Local government pay summit to go ahead 30/03/2020 Negotiators hope to keep local government pay discussions on track despite the difficulties posed by the coronavirus crisis.
Union questions how refuse workers can practice social distancing within an RCV cab 24/03/2020 A union has called on local government employers to spell out how refuse service workers can safely provide an essential service while meeting social distancing requirements.
Union and council end dispute amid coronavirus crisis 24/03/2020 Trade union Unite has said its dispute with Veolia over holiday pay for refuse staff working at Tower Hamlets LBC has been resolved.
Union accuses town council of being like ‘The Godfather’ 19/02/2020 There is a ‘systematic and sustained campaign of bullying’ in the Norfolk town council of Attleborough, according to the union Unite.
A 10% council pay rise is 'affordable' says Unison 12/02/2020 A 10% pay rise for council staff is 'affordable' and would boost local economies, new research from a trade union has said.
Unions reject 'disappointing' 2% council pay offer 05/02/2020 Trade unions have rejected a 2% pay increase for council staff and called on employers to 'come up with a better offer'.
Bromley's eight-month strike comes to an end 31/01/2020 An eight-month long strike at Bromley’s library services has finally ended following an agreement between Unite and the employer, Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL).
Pay dispute threatens to ‘disrupt’ council tax collection 24/01/2020 Newham council faces ‘significant disruption’ to council tax collection and rebates when staff stage a week-long strike in a job evaluation row.
Unions blast 'unnecessary' delay to council staff pay rise decision 23/01/2020 Trade unions have criticised employers for failing to make a pay offer to local government staff yet.
Surrey firefighters vote for Christmas industrial action 12/12/2019 Firefighters in Surrey have voted in favour of industrial action short of strike over the Christmas period in order to fight against local authority cuts.
Research reveals 'shocking' cuts to local services 10/12/2019 Hundreds of youth centres, libraries and public toilets have been closed due to council funding cuts, a trade union has warned.
Delays to pay claim talks branded a 'disappointment by union 07/11/2019 The biggest local government union has branded a delay to talks over their 10% pay claim 'a huge disappointment'.
Decision on council staff pay rise delayed until the New Year 06/11/2019 A leading union negotiator has questioned local government employers' good faith after they decided to delay responding to their 10% pay claim until the New Year.
Council workers to lobby for 10% pay rise 04/11/2019 Unions are set to protest in support of their 10% pay claim when local government employers meet in London tomorrow.
Recycling and refuse top public’s spending priority list 17/10/2019 Councils should spend more money on rubbish collection and recycling, according to the results of a new poll.
Union ballots over strike action at Greenwich Council 03/09/2019 Housing employees at Greenwich Council in London are being balloted for strike action over the ending of a productivity agreement.
Formal dispute opened by union at Northamptonshire 13/08/2019 A trade union has lodged a dispute with Northamptonshire CC.
‘Rethink’ changes to local government pension scheme, Unison warns 09/08/2019 Plans to allow higher and further education employers to opt out of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) could cause serious cash flow problems for funds, a trade union has warned.
Lincolnshire health visitors announce new pay strikes 06/08/2019 Unite have announced that health visitors employed by the council will be holding further demonstrations across Lincolnshire as part of an ongoing pay dispute.
In a nutshell: the 2020-21 local government pay claim 29/07/2019 Mark Whitehead explores the context behind the union's bid for a 10% pay increase for council staff.
Unions set to propose 10% pay rise for council staff 17/07/2019 Better work-life balance and support for mental health are likely to be elements in a pay claim being agreed by local government unions, LocalGov can reveal.
Lincolnshire health visitors strike over pay row 16/07/2019 Health visitors in Lincolnshire began strike action yesterday after failing to reach an agreement with the county council over their rate of pay.
Sleep-in care workers report unsuitable conditions 18/06/2019 Overnight care workers have reported being attacked at work and forced to sleep in offices, in a new survey conducted by Unison.
Union warns 130,000 people trapped in social care debt 12/06/2019 Nearly 100,000 people are facing debt collectors over unpaid social care charges, an investigation has revealed.
Union hits out over changes to LGPS for non-teaching staff 06/06/2019 A trade union has blasted government proposals to allow universities and colleges in England to opt out of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) for new non-teaching staff.
Council employees win ‘substantial wage rise’ 02/05/2019 Customer service assistants employed by Sandwell Council have won what the union Unite describe as a ‘substantial wage rise’.
Birmingham council apologises to union over waste dispute comments 30/04/2019 Birmingham City Council has apologised to Unite the Union over comments made during the recent protracted dispute with refuse collectors.
Council employees balloted for strike action 15/04/2019 Newham council workers are threatening the council with strike action after the authority proposed a new pay structure that would lead to cuts.
Council property firm records losses 10/04/2019 The property company run by Barking & Dagenham LBC has reported losses of almost £4m in its first year of operation.
Teaching union rejects pay offer from councils 22/02/2019 The 9% pay increase offered to teachers in Scotland has been rejected by members of trade union EIS.
Council staff should be better protected against sexual harassment 18/02/2019 Council staff should have better protection against unwelcome advances by people using public services, Unison has warned.
Birmingham's winter of discontent 15/02/2019 With a series of one-day strikes to go ahead in Birmingham, Mark Whitehead explores what led to this long-running dispute over waste collection.
Union refused an injunction over ongoing bin dispute 15/02/2019 A series of one-day strikes by refuse collectors in Birmingham is set to go ahead next week after a legal challenge by the Unite union failed.
Glasgow approves £500m equal pay deal 07/02/2019 Glasgow council’s long-running equal pay dispute has finally come to an end as councillors formally approve a multi-million pound compensation deal for claimants.
Union seeks injunction against Birmingham in long-running bin dispute 07/02/2019 Unite is taking high court legal action against Birmingham City Council for operating refuse vehicles without safety critical role.
Half of councils failing to ensure care workers are paid travel time 30/01/2019 More than half of councils across England and Wales are failing to ensure homecare companies pay their staff for travel time, new research has revealed.
Education union blasts Whitehall for ‘broken’ funding promises 08/01/2019 The UK’s largest education union has criticised the Government for ‘failing to match’ their promises on school funding.
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2018 11/12/2018 From council pay rises to troubled outsourcing firms, here is our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2018.
Vulnerable children at risk due to school support staff cuts, union warns 23/11/2018 A quarter of school support staff go home worried every day having spoken to pupils about the issues that trouble them, according to their union.
Council pay offer rejected as union moves towards strike action 09/11/2018 The 3% pay offer for council workers in Scotland has been rejected by members of Unison Scotland.
Glasgow - peace on the horizon? 05/11/2018 Mark Whitehead explores the complexities of an equal pay dispute that led to thousands of women striking last month in Glasgow.
Glasgow and unions agree meetings to resolve dispute 26/10/2018 Talks following the two-day strike by more than 8,000 women in Glasgow this week were described as positive and constructive by both sides.
Council workers borrowing money to cope with low pay 25/10/2018 Council staff are being forced to rely on credit cards, pawn possessions and borrow money from friends and family due to low pay, a new survey has revealed.
Hopes emerge as talks resume following Glasgow strike 25/10/2018 Mark Whitehead explores what led thousands of council staff to strike in Glasgow this week.
Equal pay strike closes council facilities and hundreds of schools 24/10/2018 Unions were today claiming the strike by 8,000 women staff in Glasgow over equal pay was solid and council facilities had shut down as other workers refused to cross picket lines.
Council staff to strike over equal pay claims 22/10/2018 Thousands of women at one of the UK's biggest councils are set to walk out on strike for two days this week over equal pay.
Local government workers: an uncertain future 19/10/2018 With some councils forcing staff to take unpaid holiday leave in an effort to save money, Mark Whitehead explores what impact this will have on the workforce.
Public sector workers doing '40 million hours of unpaid overtime' 24/09/2018 Support staff in the public sector are doing more than 40 million hours of unpaid overtime a year, according to local government union Unison.
Unions offered new pay rise to avert strike action 14/09/2018 A new pay offer has been put forward by councils in Scotland in a bid to avert industrial action.
Council staff urged to reject 3% pay increase in Scotland 10/09/2018 Unison is calling on its local government members to reject the new offer of a 3% pay rise.
School support staff warn of 'intolerable workloads' 04/09/2018 Cuts in funding are having a 'devastating effect' on school support staff, according to trade union Unison.
Parents ‘struggling’ with childcare costs, TUC warns 03/09/2018 Working parents with children under five have seen nursery fees increase three times faster than their wages over the past decade, trades unions have revealed.
Unison appeals against reversal of £400m sleep-in shift ruling 08/08/2018 Unison has lodged an official appeal against the ruling that social care providers will no longer be required to pay £400m in backpay to carers doing sleep-in shifts.
Council facing £5m equal pay bill 26/06/2018 Fife Council has been warned it could face a £5m bill from a new round of equal pay claims.
A cry for help? 21/06/2018 With a survey suggesting half of council workers are considering quitting their jobs, Mark Whitehead considers how important it is for managers to ease the fears of the local government workforce.
Half of council staff considering quitting their job, survey finds 18/06/2018 Half of council workers are thinking of leaving their job for less stressful work elsewhere, according to a new survey by trade union Unison.
Councils must do more to protect workers’ rights globally, union says 18/06/2018 A public sector union has criticised local authorities for ‘not doing enough’ to protect workers’ rights globally.
Union members to strike at Scottish council over 'savage cuts' 07/06/2018 A third union has voted to take industrial action at East Dunbartonshire Council over proposed changes to terms and conditions including cuts in holiday entitlement.
A clash of cultures? 16/05/2018 Mark Whitehead considers if the local government workplace has suffered due to councils adopting a more market-friendly approach.
Unions submit pay rise claim for youth and community workers 14/05/2018 Unions have submitted a pay claim for youth and community workers they say would narrow a growing gap between falling wages and rising costs caused by austerity.
Council to take pay dispute to Supreme Court 10/05/2018 Nottingham City Council is to take a dispute with its staff over incremental pay rises to the Supreme Court.
Scottish council staff urged to reject ‘unacceptable’ pay offer 13/04/2018 A Scottish trade union has urged its members to reject the offer of a pay increase up to 3%.
Update: All three unions accept council pay deal 10/04/2018 A two-year pay deal for more than one million local government workers is set to be rubber-stamped following decisions by all three unions involved to accept it.
Unison accepts 2% pay rise for local government staff 10/04/2018 A two-year pay deal for more than one million local government workers looks likely to go ahead after the biggest of the three unions involved decided to accept it.
Union members vote to accept 2% pay rise for council staff 12/03/2018 The vast majority of GMB members have voted to accept the 2% local government pay offer.
Public sector workers responsible for ‘a third' of all unpaid overtime 23/02/2018 Public sector employees are responsible for more than a third of all unpaid overtime despite only making up a quarter of the workforce.
150,000 children of public sector workers ‘pushed into poverty’ 15/02/2018 Over a hundred thousand extra children of public sector workers have been pushed into poverty due to pay restrictions and benefit cuts, trade unions say.
Council faces legal action over outstanding equal pay awards 13/02/2018 Fife Council is facing fresh legal proceedings over the non-payment of equal pay awards, a trade union has warned.
Union warns of 30% job losses under council transformation plans 02/02/2018 A union has raised concerns about a transformation programme currently being implemented by Taunton Deane and West Somerset Councils which could result in staff reductions.
A better pay deal for local government? 24/01/2018 With all three unions rejecting the pay offer to local government staff, just what chance do they have of winning more money for council workers? Mark Whitehead explores.
Unison narrowly rejects pay offer to council staff 23/01/2018 The union with the biggest membership among local government workers has voted to reject the 2% pay offer made by the employers late last year.
Reforms to free school meals would leave children hungry, warn union 15/01/2018 A leading union has dismissed government proposed reforms to free school meal entitlement as 'a cut disguised as a kindness.'
Unions call for 6.5% pay increase for Scottish council workers 15/01/2018 Trade unions representing local government workers across Scotland have called for a 6.5% pay rise for Scottish council workers.
Union urges council staff to reject pay offer 15/01/2018 A trade union is calling on local government members to reject the offer of a 2% pay rise this year.
Unions make 5% pay increase claim for local government craft workers 11/12/2017 Unions have submitted a pay claim for increases of at least 5% for local government craft workers who mainly carry out housing and maintenance work.
Half the cost of a 5% pay rise for council staff would be offset in tax, says union 16/11/2017 Half the cost of a pay claim for council workers would be offset by increased taxes and other factors, according to local government unions.
Mental health cuts leaving carers vulnerable to violence, survey reveals 09/10/2017 Cuts to mental health services are leaving carers vulnerable to violence from patients and are exacerbating the staff retention crisis, public sector union warns.
Union claims pay cap is stripping billions of pounds from council budgets 13/09/2017 A major union has accused the Government of stripping billions of pounds from the local authorities, schools and police forces to enforce a cap on public sector pay.
Birmingham bin strike to resume after council issues redundancy notices 01/09/2017 Bin workers in Birmingham are back on strike today after an agreement reached with the city council appeared to fall
Long-running bin strike in Birmingham is called off 17/08/2017 The seven-week bin strike in Birmingham has been suspended after trade union Unite agreed to further negotiations with the council.
Care workers ‘exploited en masse’, unions say in wake of gig economy review 11/07/2017 Home care workers are still being ‘exploited en masse’, union leader says in the wake of a major review into modern employment practices.
Union commits to moving council pension schemes away from fossil fuels 23/06/2017 Local Government Pension Schemes should be divested from fossil fuels within five years, Unison has argued today.
Care workers warn the dignity of residents is being compromised by cuts 19/06/2017 Severe staff shortages in residential care homes are denying elderly people the most basic levels of care, according to a survey of care workers.
Unions call for 5% pay increase for council staff 15/06/2017 Local government workers should be given a 5% pay rise following eight years of government-imposed pay restraint, trade unions have argued.
Education under threat from £3bn of cuts, union warns 05/06/2017 Parents and teachers are concerned about the impact of nearly £3bn in school funding cuts on the quality of education in the UK’s schools.
Pupils ‘at risk’ from cuts to school support staff, union says 02/06/2017 The safety of pupils is being put at risk by school cuts, public sector union claims as survey reveals school office employees are carrying out tasks that go beyond their remit.
Council strike averted under new trade union rules 02/06/2017 Industrial action in Scotland over local government pay has been scuppered after a ballot by Unison failed to reach the minimum threshold of the new Trade Union Act.
Public sector pay freeze causing recruitment ‘crisis’, warns union 22/05/2017 Public sector recruitment hovers on the ‘brink of crisis’, union says as think tank warns the squeeze on public sector pay may force workers to move to the private sector.
Public sector pay cap will ‘cost economy £16bn by 2020’ 12/05/2017 The 1% cap on public sector workers will cost the UK economy £16bn by 2020, new figures from GMB have revealed.
Thousands of council staff consulted over pay 09/05/2017 Hundreds of thousands of local government workers are being consulted on the latest pay claim.
Union puts 85 MPs 'on notice' over public sector pay cuts 02/05/2017 GMB has warned that 85 Conservative MPs could be at risk in upcoming the General Election due to the squeeze on public sector pay.
Trade union ballots members over strike action 11/04/2017 Scotland’s largest local government trade union is to ballot its members over possible strike action after rejecting the latest pay offer from town halls.
GMB Scotland votes to accept local authority pay deal 10/04/2017 Trade union members have voted to accept this year’s offer on local authority pay in Scotland.
Councils paying staff £15m for trade union time 14/03/2017 Councils are spending more than £14.5m a year on providing ‘facility time’ for trade union reps, according to new research by the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA).
Staff win employment tribunal against Brighton Council 03/03/2017 Museum workers at Brighton and Hove Council have won their case that reductions in their pay before the end of the agreed protection period were unlawful.
Welsh councils welcome proposed trade union Bill 16/01/2017 Welsh council leaders have welcomed plans to introduce a new Bill to help reverse the ‘damaging and divisive’ effect of the UK government’s Trade Union Act.
Schools facing 'relentless' cuts under funding proposals warn unions 16/01/2017 Nearly all (98%) of schools in England will see a funding reduction for every pupil under the proposed National Funding Formula (NFF), six unions have warned.

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