local government
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in the public and charity sectors. It includes housing, but does not include most nationalised industries like health, transport or security forces.
Municipal workers strike across South Africa
Over 150,000 municipal workers in South Africa have gone on strike in a dispute over paltry pay offers in the face of massive inflation.
In an overwhelming display of unity, over 150,000 workers employed by municipalities and belonging to both South African Municipal Workers' Union (SAMWU) and Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU) across the country rejected the latest wage offer of the employer body, South African Local Government Association-SALGA.
More of the same!
Leaflet attempting to link an action against council cuts to the movement against the poll tax.
This lobby of the council is a demonstration of our anger at the attacks the Labour group carries out on us. It is good for people here to see others who are fighting back. It lets us see that we are not alone.
Beating the Poll Tax
Beating the Poll Tax was a widely distributed booklet that encouraged and analysed the rise of mass revolt against the Community Charge in 1989/90 as it was happening.
[i]It was first published by the Anarchist Communist Federation in March 1990, following 'The Poll Tax and How to Fight It' in October 1988. Scanned in and published online for the first time on the Anarchist Federation website in March 2006.
BEATING THE POLL TAX
by The Anarchist Communist Federation ( now, Anarchist Federation http://www.afed.org.uk )
Local government unions submit derisory pay claim
UNISON, Unite and the GMB request a cost of living pay rise for council workers for 2009-10 of just 0.9%.
The unions represent more than one million council staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the claim covers all grades of workers in local government, from refuse collectors to teaching assistants, parks staff to librarians, and comes as local government unions and employers begin binding arbitration over last year's pay claim.
Cost of living pay increase struggles interview, 2008
An interview between Freedom newspaper and Steven Johns, libcom editor, local government worker and UNISON convenor analysing the UK pay disputes of 2008.
This year's big public sector pay disputes seemed to be gearing up for a fight, then fizzled out. What happened?
Chilean general strike ends after wage increase
Chile's Senate unanimously approved a 10% wage increase for public workers on Thursday, ending a strike by 400,000 state employees that had halted garbage collection, and affected health and school services.
After the unanimous 32-0 vote in the Senate, union leaders announced the end of the four day-strike.
The Senate vote came hours after Chile's lower house rejected a 9.5% wage increase. Following the lower house loss, the government had increased its wage hike offer to 10% and senators approved the sweetened deal.
Scottish council workers vote on new pay offer
150,000 local government workers in Scotland are being balloted to see if they accept an improved pay offer of 3% following two one-day strikes.
Members of UNISON, Unite and the GMB are being consulted on the new offer which was made after their previous "final" offer of 2.5% following the well observed industrial action.
UNISON, the largest union is recommending members reject the offer.
Local government pay: unions cave in
Following a sham "consultation" exercise UNISON negotiators, backed by Unite and the GMB, have called in government arbitrators ACAS to make a binding agreement which members will be unable to vote on.
Following one of the UK's biggest strikes in years, when half a million council workers walked out for two days against a sub inflationary 2.45% pay offer, unions have blocked further action.
Scottish councils back on strike alone
Local authority staff in Scotland are set to return to picket lines for another day after the employers refused to up their pay offer.
The strike will take place across Scotland on Wednesday 24 September. The move follows the earlier action on 20 August, which came after 150,000 members rejected an offer of 2.5%.
Youth workers say no to pay cuts
Youth and community workers for local councils have rejected the employers offer of a below inflation pay "rise" of 2.45%.
The offer is for employees on JNC pay and conditions, which includes workers in youth clubs and Connexions advisers, and was rejected by both UNISON and the youth workers' branch of Unite, the CYWU.
UNISON has launched a campaign for fair pay for youth and community workers, while the CYWU is to ballot its members for industrial action, asking:
