At the end of January, the Retail Price Index was 4.2%.  In December, it had topped 4.4%, the highest figure since 1991.  "Big increases in energy, transport and housing costs over the past year have eaten further into our members' pay" commented UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis.

"Local government members pay has slipped back against the private and other sectors" he said adding that Treasury talk of restricting public sector pay awards to 2% or less was "unrealistic".

The claim from UNISON, the T&G and the GMB is on behalf of 1.3 million workers more than 60% of whom earn just £15,825 or less a year around £8,000 less than the national average.  Seventy-five percent of these are women.

 The claim itself calls for:

• any deal to be for 1 year only;
• to ensure a £6.30 underpin on the minimum hourly rate;
• the greater of 5% or £1,000;
• an increase in basic annual leave entitlement to 25 days per year as the minimum entitlement for all employees;
• a reduction in the standard working week to 35 hours without loss of pay;
• an increase in the night shift allowance over 3 years from time and a third, to time and a half, to time and three quarters, to double time in the final year;
• an increase in the sleep-in allowance to £60.