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UNISON
Rochdale Local Government
Branch Latest News
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Industrial Action 16th & 17th July 2008
Why we need to build a successful strike
Taking strike action is never an easy decision for members. Having won a ‘Yes’ vote for action, it is now up to the union at all levels to deliver on that action.
And that means all of us – and particularly stewards and reps who are in daily contact with members – getting the maximum possible turnout.
It is never easy for our members to lose pay. We have to convince them that it’s the strength of turnout which will make the strike successful.
A large turnout sends a clear message to employers that they must improve their offer and show members the respect they deserve.
Without our members, most councils would not be rated ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, and local communities would fall apart.
So why should they strike? Pay rises for local government workers – and others whose pay is negotiated in the national joint council for England, Wales and Northern Ireland – have been below inflation for the past 10 years.
In real terms, members have faced 10 years of pay cuts: they can buy less now with their monthly pay packet than they could in 1998.
It is time to take a stand against low pay and protect our standard of living. Doing nothing will mean even more hardship next year, as pay is simply not keeping up with prices.
Inflation is still rising and is set to continue. In the past year, the average household bill has risen by £1,300:
food prices are up 9%;
energy bills are up 9%;
petrol up is 22%;
inflation is running at 4.3% – even the government’s figure, which doesn’t count housing costs and council tax, is 3.3% up on last year;
average pay rises across the economy as a whole are up 4.4%.
Yet local government and other NJC workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are being offered just 2.45% – with an extra £100 for the lowest paid.
Local government employees are falling behind: they have had below-inflation pay increases for 10 years; they have the worst pay, holidays, parental rights and sick pay in the public sector; 250,000 of them earn less than £6.50 an hour – and most of them are women.
The employers will say they can’t afford to pay more. But they can. Our members’ hard work meant that councils saved £1bn more than government demanded last year – using that £1bn to reward the workers who saved it could give local government staff a 5% pay increase.
That £1bn came on top of more than £3bn of ‘efficiency’ savings between 2005 and 2007. By March this year, the total savings were estimated at £4.25bn. Our members have delivered. They’ve delivered services. They’ve delivered savings. It’s not too much to ask the employers to deliver fair pay – but they’re going to have to stand up and tell the employers that on 16 and 17 July.
On top of that, councils are spending millions of pounds on agency staff because they can’t recruit. They can’t recruit because wages are so low. Yet well-paid, directly employed staff would be cheaper and better than paying agencies.
Taking strike action is not an easy choice – especially when finances are tight. But without it, the employers will not return to negotiations or increase their offer. They’ve made that clear. We need to make clear to them that enough is enough. Our members deserve respect. They deserve a fair pay rise.
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