(Hampshire UNISON) UNISON last Thursday rejected the first-ever joint pay offer for manual and white collar local government workers.
The employers' offer is for a 22 month deal, to take effect from July 1 for white collar staff and September 1 for manual workers (the traditional settlement dates for the two sectors!.
The pay offer is derisory, amounting to one per cent plus a flat rate increase of f75 for the first year and the same again for the second year, to take effect from August 1 1995.
Even UNISON's feeble Local Government Committee could not stomach this offer. Now a period of "consultation" will take place among the membership before any action is proposed.
UNISON is Britain's largest union, claiming close to 1.5 million members. The largest and most powerful sector is local government, with over 800,000 members, both manual and white-collar.
The "going-rate" in the public sector is 2.9 per cent. Even non-teaching staff in sixth form colleges (also covered by UNISON) were offered 2.95 per cent plus a lump sum of £250.
UNISON's leadership is clearly to blame for the derisory offer. Officially they were calling for a "substantial flat-rate settlement".
Yet throughout the negotiating process they refused to name a figure, making it impossible to mobilise support for a pay campaign.
Management knew UNISON's leadership didn't want a fight. Rumours abound of Walworth Road apparatchiks putting on pressure. Apparently, Labour Party bosses see a local government dispute as electorally damaging.
In the past, NALGO led the local government pay claim. They at least went through the motions of organising a pay campaign.
'Recommended' Of course, in recent time, with the exception of the highly successful 1989 pay strikes campaign, they would "reluctantly recommend" acceptance of whatever management offered.
This time union leaders were so keen to prevent action they refused to even go through the motions of a pay campaign, resulting in an offer so low even they dare not accept it.
Now the left in UNISON must fight for a programme of industrial action to secure a decent pay settlement. We must also fight to ensure that UNISON actually adopts a flat-rate figure to put on its claim, one which would aid the most low-paid.
The negotiations have been led by UNISON's national Local Government Committee. Nominations are now open to elect a new committee, and the left should organise candidates to stand. Our members cannot afford to keep these losers in office. RESIDENTIAL school with en-suite rooms, within 200 yards of LECTURES and WORKSHOPS, as facilities. £80 waged, £30 unwaged. £20/£7.50 deposit secures a place. Write to RACISM & well as the vital BAR, CRECHE, and FREE SPORTS Socialist Outlook, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU. Aberystwyth, August 25-29 FIVE DAYS of study, discussion and fun. Plenary sessions will draw lessons from • ITALY: Mussolini's march from social democracy to fascism • Revolution and counter revolution in SPAIN • Germany: the fight for the united front. • Fascism TODAY. • RACISM in Fortress Europe Plus workshops, and additional themes: • Marxism and the National Question. • Women's Liberation.
cecuuns SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 65, 25 June 1994, Page 3