A 10% wage rise is the ‘only way to maintain the staff levels necessary to deliver services’, Unison, Unite and GMB say.
The three unions submitted their annual pay claim last Thursday, calling for all council employees to receive a wage rise of £3,000 or 10%, whichever is higher.
The unions say that council staff have seen 25% wiped from the value of their pay since 2010 and have also experienced an increase in workload resulting from budget cuts.
Unison head of local government Mike Short said: ‘A decent pay offer is essential. And with so many councils struggling financially it’s more important than ever that the Westminster government invests properly in the local government and school workforce.’
GMB national officer Sharon Wilde added: ‘Staff are being torn between leaving the job that they love or going to other sectors where the work is less stressful and the pay is better. It’s got to stop.’
