Unions
Disruption warning as unions ask for pay talks to resume
Unions have urged council employers to return to the negotiating table with an improved pay offer amid warnings that months of disruption could lie ahead.
EXCLUSIVE: Councils brace themselves for local government exit pay cap
Councils are bracing themselves for the return of exit pay cap proposals as Whitehall officials draw up plans specific to the sector.
More unions announce strike ballots
Two more trade unions have moved a step closer to industrial action after members rejected the latest pay offer.
£3bn gap looms for councils
Councils in England, Wales and Scotland are grappling with huge budget deficits totalling more than £3bn for the next financial year, according to research published by trade union Unison today.
Scottish union to hold nationwide strike ballot
Councils in Scotland have been put on notice as Unison ballots members over industrial action.
Three unions head to pay ballots
Unions have recommended members reject the pay offer tabled to local government workers.
'No end in sight' as bin strike continues
Trade union Unite has accused Bexley LBC of failing to deal with an ongoing industrial dispute that has caused six weeks of bin strikes.
Strike action at Ealing ends
There will be no return to the picket lines after an agreement has been reached between the Unite trade union and outsourcer Serco.
Union concerns over homeworking
A council’s plans to close offices and increase homeworking for staff have come under fire from a trade union.
Unions urge pinged staff to isolate
Unions have urged waste and recycling staff to stay at home if ‘pinged’ by the COVID-19 app despite several councils having to reduce or suspend services.
Vaccinated social care staff no longer required to self-isolate
Health leaders have been left divided by the Government’s announcement that fully vaccinated social care staff and NHS workers who have been told to self-isolate will be allowed to continue working.
Cummings: Care home shielding claim nonsense
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser has described government suggestions that care homes were shielded in the pandemic as ‘complete nonsense’.
Employers offer 1.5% 'paltry' pay rise
Councils are facing a £279m increase to the national pay bill after offering 1.5m employees a 1.5% increase for 2021-22.
Unions reject Scots pay offer
Trade unions in Scotland have formally rejected employers’ pay offer of an £800 lower-rate pay rise for 2021, dismissing the sum as an unacceptably poor response to staff efforts during COVID-19.
Unison call for election safety measures
The Government needs to implement strict measures in May’s local elections to keep staff safe, trade union Unison urged today.
Employers branded a 'disgrace' over pay delay
Council employers have been branded a ‘disgrace’ after they said they would not respond to a union pay claim until after the May 6 elections.
Unions call for 10% pay rise for council staff
Three local government unions have called for a wage increase of at least 10% for all council and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Split emerges as exit pay cap case approaches
Divisions have emerged between the Local Government Association (LGA) and groups challenging the exit pay cap.
Unions prepare to submit 'substantial' pay claim
Trade unions are preparing to ask central government to fund a ‘substantial’ pay rise for council workers in 2021/22, The MJ understands.
Self-isolation funds ‘too little, too late’
Funding for council schemes supporting people forced to self-isolate due to COVID-19 do not go far enough, according to new research.
