Public sector workers reject pay offers

The offer to council workers is worth just 3p an hour to 150,000 low-paid workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Young members' officer for Wirral local government branch Lara Rowlands said: "An extra 3p an hour is nothing. We deserve a decent offer to help us survive during these difficult times.

"Local government workers are already suffering job cuts, lack of resources, low morale and increased workloads.

"It's disgusting that we also have to suffer pitiful pay offers."

UNISON North West head of local government Ray Short noted: "The pitiful 0.5% offered to local government workers deserves to be rejected.

"Workers in Manchester cannot survive on an extra 3p an hour.

"We know that most councils had budgeted for an average of 2.2%, so why not pay up now?

"We want to see a sizable increase for the lowest paid and a decent offer in line with the hike in the cost of utilities, food and services."

The employers have threatened to withdraw the offer if it's not accepted by June 1, but the National Joint Council has rejected this deadline.

The unions and the employers have agreed to hold further meetings to continue negotiations.

Meanwhile, unions representing 250,000 staff working in colleges in England have rejected an offer of 1% from employers represented by the Association of Colleges.

The six unions, including UNISON, had submitted a 'catch up and match up' claim for 6%, with a guaranteed £2,000 rise for the lowest paid staff, to compensate for years of below average pay rises and to bring college staff pay in line with comparable professions.

Joint trade union side secretary and UNISON national officer for FE, Chris Fabby said: "This offer is not enough to help our members working in FE cope with the high cost of food and fuel in the tough year ahead.

"It is a huge disappointment that there is no underpinning. The security of a minimum salary uplift is really important to the lowest paid workers as 1% of nothing will always mean nothing."