Unions angered by pay freeze
4 March 2010
The three unions representing 150,000 local government workers in Scotland (UNISON, GMB and Unite) have reacted angrily to the employers’ rejection of their 3% pay claim and the proposal to freeze pay in 2010-2011. This follows the approach of the employers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have also demanded a pay freeze for the 1.5 million workers covered in the other main local government agreement.
Read more at > UNISON (EN)
Civil servants’ union votes to strike over compensation scheme
4 March 2010
Members of the PCS civil service union have voted with a 63.4% majority for strike action over government changes to the redundancy compensation scheme. A 48-hour strike on 8-9 March could be followed by further action. The union says that the changes to the scheme could mean some civil servants losing up to a third of the potential compensation they would have received under the current scheme if they lose their job. PCS is the biggest union in the civil service. Other civil services have decided to accept changes to the scheme following negotiations over the original proposals.
Read more at > PCS (EN)
And at > Prospect (EN)
And at > FDA (EN)
Council workers win equal pay case
15 February 2010
Supported by the UNISON public service union, women workers at Sheffield City Council in the North East of England have won an equal pay case that is likely to have an impact across local government. The union argued that predominantly women workers in jobs such as social care were losing out as the predominantly male workers in jobs like street cleansing and gardening benefited from bonuses that could boost their basic pay by 30% or more.
Read more at > UNISON (EN)
Unions angered at local government pay freeze
21 January 2010
The three municipal unions, UNISON, Unite and GMB, have reacted angrily to the proposal by local government employers to freeze the pay of their 1.6 million employees. The unions had submitted a claim for a 2.5% increase, with a minimum increase of £500 (€577) and are particularly annoyed by the employers’ failure even to negotiate before announcing their plans for a pay freeze.
Read more at > UNISON (EN)
Low paid civil servants benefit from equal pay deal
6 January 2010
The NIPSA public service union in Northern Ireland has negotiated an equal pay deal that will benefit around 13,000 low paid civil servants. Workers in three main grades will move on to new pay structures with the changes adding around £25 million to the civil service pay bill. Administrative workers in the AA grade, for example, will move from a pay structure with a range of £13,130-£14,420 a year to one where the salaries start at £13,280 and rise to £17,108.
Read more at > NIPSA (EN)
And at > NIPSA (EN)
Hospital workers strike to get nationally agreed pay
6 January 2010
Cleaners, porters, cooks and other workers employed by the Sodexo company at North Devon District Hospital in the South West of England were due to take two days’ strike action on 4 January. They are protesting about the failure of the company and the hospital to ensure that the workers are paid in line with the national health sector agreement (Agenda for Change). Higher pay rates should have been introduced in as long ago as 2006.
Read more at > UNISON (EN)
Civil service unions angered by change to redundancy scheme
17 December 2009
The PCS and other civil service unions are considering a legal challenge and possible industrial action in response to the government’s unilateral decision to change the civil service compensation scheme. The unions believe the government is planning further job cuts and is looking to reduce the cost of making civil servants redundant.
Read more at > PCS (EN)
Union ballots on industrial action over pay
17 December 2009
Members of UNISON at the National Grid utilities company are voting on an overtime ban and work-to-rule in protest at the company’s pay offer. National Grid has offered just a lump sum payment and also wants to introduce poorer terms and conditions for new starters.
Read more at > UNISON (EN)
Council waste workers win pay dispute
30 November 2009
After 12 weeks on strike, 300 workers at Leeds City Council’s refuse collection department have decided to return to work following guarantees by the council that their pay would not be cut. The council had threatened to cut pay by up to £6,000 a year for some employees. This was the council’s response to an equal pay claim and rather than increase pay rates for women, the council had wanted to cut the pay of the male dominated refuse collection service.
Read more at > UNISON (EN)
And at > GMB (EN)
Union welcomes report highlighting need for quality social care
16 November 2009
Public services union UNISON has endorsed one of the key conclusions of a report on social care from the non-profit organization, the National Care Forum. The report emphasizes the point that quality care depends on the level of resources provided including the pay and conditions of social care workers. UNISON’s response highlighted the continuing problems of low pay and high staff turnover in the sector and the need to improve pay and conditions as well as training provision.
Read more at > UNISON (EN)
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