"Outraged" Portsmouth and Hampshire council workers could strike as union condemns "contemptuous" pay offer
Council workers across several Hampshire councils, including Portsmouth, could carry out strike action in the autumn after they rejected a “contemptuous” pay deal.
The trade union Unite has warned of a potential industrial action in the autumn the pay offer which was rejected by 85 per cent of members.
Unite members, including frontline workers in rubbish collection, housing, and care services, rejected the offer of a £1,290 flat rate plus a 2.5 per cent increase on allowances.
Unite claims the offer fails to tackle poverty pay and the real terms pay cuts experienced by local government workers. It added that over a decade of pay freezes and below-inflation pay rises have resulted in a pay decline by over a quarter in real terms.
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Unite national officer for local government craftworkers Jason Poulter said: “The employers’ lack of engagement with the unions has, frankly, been disdainful. Our members are rightly outraged by this contemptuous offer.”
Unite national officer Clare Keogh added: “Council leaders need to wake up and be aware they are facing an autumn of strikes unless local government employers return to the negotiating table and propose a vastly improved pay offer.
“Our members are heavily invested in the communities where they live and work. But more than a decade of real terms pay cuts mean that many are being forced to vote with their feet and seek employment elsewhere, as council pay has become so low that they can’t pay their bills.”
Many councils across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland could be impacted by the strike action following the ballot on 30 August.
These include Hampshire authorities such as Southampton City Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, New Forest District Council and Portsmouth City Council.
A Portsmouth City Council spokesperson said: “PCC is part of national collective pay bargaining arrangements along with most other councils in England. We are monitoring the situation at a national level and remain committed to delivering the best value for money services for our community.”