Unions win new deal in local government

Local government employers have only offered trade unions a small one-off payment and a freeze on pay over the next two years. Public services union Abvakabo points out that this is despite the fact that local authorities have received government funding that covers pay increases in line with the national guideline of 1.5%. The union also argues that at the same time as wanting to freeze their own employees pay, councils are increasingly hiring outside personnel to do local authority work at twice or three times the cost of direct employees. [Read more at > Abvakabo (NL)->http://www

The dispute over local government pay in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has ended with UNISON accepting the employers' final offer of 3.4% on the lowest pay rate (scale point 4) - giving a new bottom rate of £6 per hour with 2.475% on all other pay rates. A ballot on strike action in protest at the offer had produced a small majority in favour of action but with a low turnout the union's national joint council recommended acceptance of the deal but early talks with other unions about securing a higher pay deal in 2008. Local government workers in Scotland are covered by a separate