Council workers face industrial action ballot after pay offer rejected
The workers include refuse collection, housing workers and care staff, Unite said.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Local authority workers are to be balloted for industrial action after rejecting a pay offer.
Members of Unite, employed by local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, voted by 85% against the offer which the union said was worth £1,290 plus 2.5% on allowances.
The workers include refuse collection, housing workers and care staff.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members undertake vital frontline roles that ensure that local communities are well maintained, safe and attractive places to live, they have drawn a line in the sand and will not accept any further erosion of their pay.”
An industrial action ballot will begin on August 30 and Unite said if there is a yes vote, strikes could begin later this autumn.
Unite said local authority workers have endured more than a decade of pay freezes and below inflation pay increases which has seen their pay decline by over a quarter in real terms.