Whilst the weather may not be great, public sector workers are gearing up for a long hot summer of discontent. On Wednesday 17th July workers in councils and schools will be on strike, called by UNISON, GMB and TGWU in support of their pay claim. The claim is to bring up the minimum wage in local government to £11,017 a year with a pay claim for 6% or £1,750, whichever is the greater. Two thirds of the local government workforce earn the same average salary as the average allowance paid to council leaders (£12,403). The employers’ “final” offer of 3% had been rejected in an earlier consultative ballot of members. For council workers in London this will be the 4th day of strike action, but this is the first time since the 1989 that the unions have called strikes for the same day involving both manual and clerical workers.
Meanwhile, councillors in Havering have awarded themselves pay rises of over 200% at the same time as they are telling staff to accept 3%. The council leader is now on £51,000! Other councillors will now be paid £27,900 – an increase of over 280% from the previous £7,250. A nice little part time earner.
At 8pm on Wednesday tube drivers will walk out for 24 hours, bringing London to a standstill.
Further strikes are planned for August, which will include traffic wardens!
To show your support get down to your local council office between 7.30 and 9.30am and join the picket line, go to the demo in central London in the afternoon and join the pickets of tube depots in the evening.