Democracy under threat: Elections Bill’s risk to people with additional needs
Dr Mark Brookes discusses why measures to introduce voter ID could affect voter participation for those with learning disabilities.
Unions urge pinged staff to isolate
02/08/2021 Unions have urged waste and recycling staff to stay at home if ‘pinged’ by the COVID-19 app despite several councils having to reduce or suspend services. |
PM urged to intervene over council pay
27/07/2021 A trade union has urged the Prime Minister to make funding available to give council workers a 'fair' pay rise. |
Council pay offer increases to 1.75%
27/07/2021 Council employers have offered an improved 'final' pay offer to staff but have offered council chief executives and chief officers a lower increase. |
Workers and communities deserve better than poverty pay and degraded services
08/07/2021 Steve Turner, who is standing to become the next general secretary of Unite the Union, pledges to end the outsourcing of council services and campaign for better pay. |
A new deal for workers in local government
24/06/2021 Sharon Graham, who is standing to become the next general secretary of Unite the Union, sets out her priorities for local government workers. |
Self-isolation payments 'failing' workers
21/06/2021 Two out of three people applying for self-isolation payments are being rejected, according to new research. |
Litter overwhelming councils in tourist hotspots, warns union
15/06/2021 Councils are being overwhelmed by huge piles of litter at UK beauty spots, a trade union has warned today. |
Unions rejects 'insulting' council pay offer
24/05/2021 Two trade unions have rejected the 1.5% pay offer from the national local government employers. |
Norwich Council workers to strike over pay dispute
13/05/2021 Staff working at a council-owned company in Norwich have announced five days of strike action over 'broken promises' on pay. |
Call to tackle 'mental health crisis' in care sector
27/04/2021 Three quarters of care workers have experienced worsened mental health as a result of the pandemic, new research has warned. |
Unions reject councils’ pay offer
26/04/2021 Scottish members of two trade unions have voted to reject a pay offer from councils, raising the prospect of strike action. |
PM told to 'urgently' reform sleep-in shift rules
20/04/2021 Unison has warned that a Supreme Court ruling that sleep-in carers should not be paid the minimum wage for the hours they are asleep could be seen by some as ‘an opportunity to cut costs including wages’. |
COVID-19 mortality rates twice as high in insecure jobs, TUC finds
16/04/2021 Mortality rates during the pandemic are twice as high in insecure jobs than in other professions, a TUC analysis has revealed. |
Labour council pressed to insource service
12/04/2021 Neath Port Talbot CBC has been urged to bring its leisure services under direct control as it searches for a new operator. |
Unions reject Scots pay offer
06/04/2021 Trade unions in Scotland have formally rejected employers’ pay offer of an £800 lower-rate pay rise for 2021, dismissing the sum as an unacceptably poor response to staff efforts during COVID-19. |
Sleep-in shifts legal battle ends
19/03/2021 A long-running legal challenge by care workers over pay worth £400m has been rejected by the Supreme Court. |
COSLA pay offer ‘slap in the face’, union says
18/03/2021 Unison has accused the body representing local authorities in Scotland of making a pay offer that ‘falls far short’ of what local government workers deserve. |
Women on the frontline are 'exhausted' survey warns
17/02/2021 Women working in local government have warned the emotional, physical and financial impact of the pandemic is taking its toll, a new survey has revealed. |
Union calls for nurseries to be closed during lockdown
06/01/2021 Pre-schools including nurseries must be closed except to educate the children of key workers and those who are vulnerable, union says. |
Union calls for libraries to be ‘completely closed’ during lockdown
06/01/2021 A public sector union has called for libraries to be completely closed to protect library workers during the lockdown. |
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2020
16/12/2020 Although the dispute over council pay caused the most stir in the local government sector this year, the impact of dealing with the pandemic obviously dominated the headlines as well. |
One in nine care workers not tested weekly
16/12/2020 A government pledge to test all care home staff every seven days is not being met, according to a survey published today. |
Councils urged to back £20 Universal Credit uplift
10/12/2020 Councils have been urged to lobby the Government to make the £20 uplift in Universal Credit permanent by trade union Unite. |
Sandwell's outsourced refuse workers secure back pay deal
07/12/2020 Refuse workers in Sandwell are set to receive substantial back pay following intervention by trade union Unite. |
District council workers agree to strike next month
18/11/2020 Up to 1,000 workers at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council are set to strike following a row about pay and conditions. |
Local government pay deal agreed
21/08/2020 Local government has accepted a 2.75% pay increase, it has been confirmed, despite objections from Unite. |
Unite members reject 'insulting' council pay offer
17/08/2020 The majority of members of Unite the union have rejected the 2.75% pay offer. |
Chancellor accused of 'selective memory' over council workers' pay
21/07/2020 Council staff are the 'forgotten army of public service' and are being denied a 'decent' pay rise, a union said today. |
Thousands of council jobs at risk due to funding shortfall, union warns
07/07/2020 Tens of thousands of council jobs could be lost unless the Government addresses the current funding shortfall, Unison has warned. |
Unite to ballot members over ‘insulting’ council pay offer
12/06/2020 Around 100,000 council workers will be asked if they want to accept or reject the 2.75% pay offer. |
Schools using 'professional judgement' on reopening, union finds
04/06/2020 Just over a third of schools (35%) opened on the terms expected by the prime minister on 1 June, a union has found. |
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. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
