Council workers offered pay deal

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/8164996.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Local councils have made a "final" pay offer to 1.6 million workers in an effort to break deadlocked talks.

The new offer is for a 1.25% rise for the lowest paid workers who earn up to £13,700, and 1% for other employees.

The deal covers librarians, social workers, refuse collectors, care staff and other local authority staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Union leaders will meet next week to discuss the new offer by the Local Government Association.

The LGA's original offer of 0.5% was rejected after unions claimed many councils had already budgeted for a bigger rise.

Heather Wakefield, head of trade union Unison, said: "We are pleased that the local government employers have come forward with an improved pay offer.

"While we believe that our members are worth more, we are pleased that the employers have realised that 0.5% was an insult.

"It is also vital that we have an agreement in place to protect jobs in the sector. This will help keep services running through the recession, when families and communities need them most."

Sir Steve Bullock, of the Local Government Association, said employers have had to make "some tough decisions" on pay and spending due to "the perfect storm of reduced income and increasing demands for services, combined with the low inflation rate".

He added: "Since councils set their budgets for this year the recession has meant the money available for pay has been squeezed and for many councils this improved offer will have to be paid for by savings.

"We have worked hard to help staff who deliver efficient public services to local people while ensuring that council spending does not rise above what is acceptable to local people. We hope that the trade unions will accept this final offer.

"However no one should be in any doubt that the employers will withdraw the offer and bring the negotiations to an end if it is rejected."