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Council staff demand 6% pay rise | Council staff demand 6% pay rise |
(41 minutes later) | |
Trade unions have submitted a 6% pay claim for more than one million local government workers. | Trade unions have submitted a 6% pay claim for more than one million local government workers. |
Unite, the GMB and TGWU-Unison say this would bring minimum pay to £6.50 an hour - still 25p below what they say is a living wage of £6.75 an hour. | Unite, the GMB and TGWU-Unison say this would bring minimum pay to £6.50 an hour - still 25p below what they say is a living wage of £6.75 an hour. |
The claim covers all work grades in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. | The claim covers all work grades in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
The unions want a rise of 6% or 50p an hour, whichever is higher. But ministers say public sector pay rises must be below 2% to curb inflation. | The unions want a rise of 6% or 50p an hour, whichever is higher. But ministers say public sector pay rises must be below 2% to curb inflation. |
'Modest claim' | |
The unions argue that a 6% rise is needed to help council workers "catch up" with the rest of the public sector, following below-inflation awards since 2004. | |
Unison national officer Heather Wakefield said: "Despite the headline figure, this is a modest claim. No one could argue that an increase of 50p an hour fuels inflation. | |
"Over the past three years local government workers' pay has increased by less than the rate of inflation, so we are starting from a low base." | |
She added: "The government's 2% limit is just not on. It is half the rate of inflation and represents a real pay cut for loyal, hard-working public sector workers, two-thirds of whom are women." | |
The government's decision to award in two stages the 2.5% pay rise recommended for public sector workers means they are effectively getting 1.9%. | |
That has prompted anger from public sector workers including police officers, prison guards, nurses and civil servants. | |
The dispute comes as the Senior Salaries Pay Board is expected on Wednesday to recommend a 2.8% rise for MPs, on the current £60,675 a year. | |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged MPs - who vote for their own pay settlements - to opt instead for 1.9%, in line with the public sector. |
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