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.
Council workers to ballot for strike action
UNISON members working in local government in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been given the green light for a ballot on industrial action after rejecting the pay offer from employers.
The offer is for a 2.45% increase, with an additional £100 flat rate increase on the very lowest three scale points.
April 24 – hundreds of thousands to walk out
On Thursday April 24 thousands of civil servants, coastguards, council workers, FE lecturers and charity workers will join a national teachers strike of 200,000.
Employer attacks on workers' pay is the main issue at stake.
Teachers in the NUT are walking out over their pay deal which was supposed to be revised when inflation rose, but the government refused: effectively cutting their wages.
20,000 Birmingham council workers to strike
20,000 GMB, UNISON, AMICUS, TGWU (Unite) and UCATT members will strike alongside teachers and lecturers against council plans to use ‘Single Status’ negotiations to cut pay and jobs.
Council workers will be protesting against the new pay and grading system imposed by Birmingham council last week, affecting 40,000 staff.
UNISON has branded the structure discriminatory. Though it was designed to end wage inequalities, some workers will lose up to half their pay.
UNISON to recommend pay cuts for health workers
Public sector union UNISON looks set to rubber stamp a three-year package of pay cuts for workers in the NHS.
Following a proposal of three years of sub-inflationary pay rises UNISON Head of Health, Karen Jennings, said that she would be "asking our executive to consider recommending this deal to members as a well-balanced package"
The proposed deal gives 2.75% in the first year.
In year 2 it gives 2.54%. Those on the lowest point will receive an increase of 5.7%.
10,000 jobs to go in Northern Ireland
Almost 10,000 jobs could be lost across Northern Ireland's government departments.
Nipsa said the axing of 450 jobs by the Housing Executive was just "the tip of the iceberg". Thousands of public sector posts could go due to an efficiency drive aiming to raise £790m. The government say no staff reduction target has been set.
More strikes expected as Greece passes pension reform
Greek unions promise to continue protests against the government's pension reforms, passed on Thursday.
The pension reform raises the retirement age for women to 65 and workers in hazardous industries will have to work an extra two years. Many accuse the conservative government of going back on pre-election promises not to cut pension rights.
Two-day DWP strike ends
Thousands of Job Centre and benefit office staff carried out a 48-hour strike this week against a new three-year pay deal.
It was the second 48-hour stoppage in protest of the imposed three-year pay deal, which works out as an average 1% a year for some staff.
Greece heading towards general strike
Greek workers are set to go on general strike tomorrow (Wednesday 19th March) in protest of the government's planned pension reforms.
The government's reforms would mean the merging of pension funds and increasing the pension age for some workers. The government, however, has not made public any details on the size of savings that will accrue from the reforms. The trade unions have also argued that the current pension system could survive if bosses were made to pay their contributions.
Interview: Nottingham library assistant speaks out on management bullying
Interview with a Nottingham library worker about the imposition of new uniforms and management bullying.
Last week Nottingham Indymedia spoke with Barbara, who has worked in Nottingham's libraries for many years. In this interview she voices her anger over the decision by the City Council to introduce uniforms for library staff. More so, she talks about the ever degrading library service and the bully tactics deployed by City Council managers to keep its staff in line..
Strikes spread across Zimbabwe
Teachers, nurses, doctors and civil servants have been taking industrial action since last Wednesday calling for an immediate review of salaries and benefits.
In the capital Harare, the strike has been compounded by the ongoing strike by council workers who downed tools last Wednesday, demanding a rise in their salaries.
