The UNISON NJC Committee met on 4 September and decided to seek authorisation for an industrial action ballot over the employers’ final offer of 2.475% plus £6 per hour (3.4%) on scale point 4. Branches are asked to make urgent preparations for a ballot and campaign.

Background

At the NJC on 20 March, the employers made an offer of 2% on all pay points. This was immediately rejected by the Trade Union Side and the employers were asked to reconsider their offer. A considerable period of delay in receiving a further offer then followed. This was the result of a number of factors:

- The Government’s 2% public sector pay limit and pressure on the local government employers to keep to it

- Local elections in May

- Delay in the appointment of a new Chair of the LGA, Sir Simon Milton, to replace Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart.

Final offer

The employers made their final offer at a meeting of the NJC Executive on 24 August. The details circulated in ULG/96/2007 are as follows:

- 2.475% on scale points 5 – 49, with no staging

- 3.4% on scale point 4 to give a minimum rate of £6 per hour

- Joint commitment to “a review of the way that local government pays and rewards its workforce, with nothing ruled in and nothing ruled out”

The offer was based on recognition of the “excellent performance” by the employers of the local government workforce. In making it, the employers made it absolutely clear that there was no scope for further improvement.

UNISON NJC Committee decides

The UNISON NJC Committee met on 4 September and decided to reject the revised offer and seek authorisation from the NEC’s Industrial Action Committee and the Local Government SGE for an industrial action ballot. Meetings of both are being organised. The Committee made it clear that, in rejecting the offer, members would need to be prepared to take part in substantial and escalating industrial action, starting with a two-day, all-out strike. The decision of the UNISON NJC Committee on 4 September follows two consultation processes amongst UNISON members covered by NJC pay and conditions. The first of these was an informal consultation in May/June and the second was a formal consultation on the 2% offer in July in which 81% of those responding voted to reject the 2% offer.

GMB and TGWU-Unite

At separate meetings of their Local Government Committees on 6 September, both the GMB and TGWU-Unite voted to consult members on the final offer on the basis that it is the best achievable through negotiation and will require substantial and escalating industrial action in order to achieve any improvement.

What branches must do now

It is clear that only a campaign involving substantial and sustained industrial action, starting with the two-day strike agreed by the UNISON NJC Committee, will achieve any improvement to the offer.

Branches will therefore need to work closely with Regions to organise for the ballot, achieve a ‘yes’ vote and mobilise for industrial action. The timetable for the ballot will mean that letters of intent to employers are likely to be sent out in the week commencing 24 September. The two days of action would then take place between 14 and 20 November.

It is therefore vital that you now:

- Ensure that membership records are up to date

- Call branch and workplace meetings to tell members what is happening

- Order and distribute campaign materials – which will be distributed once the SGE and Industrial Action Committee have approved the ballot

- Ask your Regional NJC reps or Head Office officials to address meetings

- Tell your local press and media what is happening

- Campaign for a ‘yes’ vote in the ballot

- Work with your Region on the campaign and update them on members’ response