Health service unions are consulting their members over whether to accept a three-year pay offer which would mean workers at the top of their pay grade would get a 6.5% increase between April 2018 and April 2020, marking a break with the government's 1% pay cap in the public sector. All but the very highest paid staff would get 3% in April 2018, 1.7% and a 1.1% lump sum in April 2019, and 1.7% from April 2020. However, changes to the pay structure would mean significant increases of 15%-17% for the lowest paid. The government has also confirmed that it will fully fund the pay rises. Most unions are recommending to their members that they accept the deal. However, the GMB union argues that the 6.5% will be inadequate to cover forecast inflation.
Health service unions consult over three-year pay offer
More like this
Unions to consult members over pay coordination plan
The LO, mainly blue-collar workers’ trade union confederation, has put specific figures to its proposed pay coordination formula that it has drafted for the pay bargaining round in early 2023 with a key aim of supporting lower paid workers. The general pay claim would be for a 4.4% increase but with a minimum increase of SEK 1192 (€110) for those earning less than SEK 27100 (€2500) a month and with an increase of SEK 1371 (€126) on minimum wages in collective agreements. The majority of LO member organisations backed the plan although there are some concerns that the overall target is too low
Local government unions reject pay offer
The three main unions in local government - Unison, Unite and GMB - have rejected a 2% pay rise as a wholly inadequate offer from the employers. The unions have submitted a joint pay claim that aims to provide some redress for years of pay freezes and below-inflation increases. These have left local government workers some 22% worse off in real terms. The aim is for a new minimum rate of GBP 10 (EUR 12) per hour and a 10% increase for all workers.
European Commission launches fair wage consultation
On 14 January the European Commission published a document on fair wages, launching a six-week consultation process with trade unions and employer organisations. The ETUC welcomed some key points in the document such as the acknowledgement that wage in many countries were too low and that collective bargaining is an essential element of a social market economy. However, it was also disappointed that the document was very short on concrete measures, particularly in relation to strengthening and extending collective bargaining. The ETUC is drafting a response that will be discussed at its