GMB calls on local council employers to make a pay offer

18 May 2010

Workers were told that councils couldn't afford to give them any pay rise in 2010 but today's inflation figures show that they are taking a real terms pay cut of over 5% says GMB

GMB today called on the local authority employers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to reopen pay talks in the light of an annual rise of 3.7% in the Retail Prices Index released this morning.

Earlier this year 1.5million local authority workers were told they would not be getting a pay rise in 2010. However with inflation now up to 3.7% on the retail prices index and 5.3% on the consumer prices index which measure the cost of living it is surely time to reconsider a pay offer for council workers says GMB.

GMB national secretary Brian Strutton said "Council workers are some of the lowest paid people in the country, with wages starting at just 37p above the new national minimum wage. They were told that councils couldn't afford to give them any pay rise in 2010 but today's inflation figures show that they are taking a real terms pay cut of over 5%. Our members just cannot make ends meet like this. So GMB is calling on local government leaders to re-open discussions on pay and we are writing to Eric Pickles as Secretary of State for local government to lend his support in line with the new governments stated aim of protecting the lowest paid."