Unison Herts

Local government unions have warned employers that the 0.5% pay offer for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is totally unacceptable, and it called on them to open meaningful negotiations as a matter of urgency.

After their joint meeting on 7.4.09, UNISON, Unite and the GMB described the offer as "mean and paltry", saying it meant just 3p an hour for hundreds of thousands, including nursery nurses, teaching assistants, care home workers, care assistants, road sweepers and refuse workers, school meals staff, social work assistants, cleaners, admin staff and library assistants.

And for groups such as social workers and planners, where there are huge vacancies, the increase amounts to no more than 7p an hour.

"How can the employers expect their hard-pressed workforce to exist on this breathtakingly mean offer of a paltry 3p an hour extra – just over £1 a week or £55 a year?" asked UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield.

"Who could honestly expect us to consider this acceptable? It is just not realistic and we know that the employers have already put aside money for an increase of between 1.5% and 2.5%."

And Ms Wakefield continued: "How can they hope to recruit and retain enough social workers to make sure that children at risk are protected when they are offering a ridiculously low amount – what sort of carrot is this?

"We have only just settled last year's claim, which went to ACAS. Let's clear the decks and allow staff to get on with their jobs serving local communities without the spectre of damaging industrial relations."