Council staff are the 'forgotten army of public service' and are being denied a 'decent' pay rise, a union said today.
The Government has announced above inflation pay rises 900,000 public sector workers today, with teachers and doctors seeing the largest rise at 3.1% and 2.8% respectively.
While Unite the Union said the pay rise was a 'step in the right direction', council workers were only being offered a pay increase that amounts to £1.83 a day.
Unite national officer for local government, Jim Kennedy, said: 'What the chancellor has announced for 900,000 public sector employees is a step in the right direction and a recognition of the vital role they have played in the fight against coronavirus.
'But the chancellor has a selective memory when it comes to finding cash for local government employers to pay their workers a decent pay rise – they are the forgotten army of public service.
'Council workers – including schools, refuse collection, cemeteries, child protection, and the care of our elderly and vulnerable – have been working throughout the pandemic. They are the glue that keeps services for local communities running on a daily basis through good times and bad.'
The National Employers have offered a 2.75% pay increase for council staff. However, Unite the union is balloting its members to reject the offer, calling it ‘unrealistic and insulting'.
