Around 200,000 council and school workers across England and Wales are to begin voting on whether to strike over pay. The ballot of Unison members follows the union’s rejection of a 3.3% pay offer from local government employers.
Ballot Details and Potential Impact
Unison said the offer fell short of restoring the value of staff pay after years of decline. Among those being balloted on Thursday are teaching assistants, social workers, waste collection staff, trading standards teams, housing officers and librarians. The ballot closes in early August and if workers back industrial action, walkouts could begin early in the autumn.
Union Statement on Pay and Retention
Unison said low pay was making it harder for councils and schools to recruit and retain staff. General secretary Andrea Egan said: “Council and school workers kept vital services running through years of brutal austerity, with rising demand and relentless pressure. They deserve far better than another pay offer leaving them falling ever further behind.”
Egan added: “This huge ballot is the direct consequence of employers expecting staff to accept less while delivering more, year after year. That’s taken a growing toll on workers, on local services and on the communities depending on them. No one chooses lightly to take strike action and there’s still time for employers to improve this pay offer and avoid a dispute. Failing that, it should come as no surprise if workers decide the only way left to secure the fair pay and respect they deserve is to walk out.”
