Councils prepare for national walkout
From social care to street cleaning, councils brace for strike by up to one million local government workers next week
Councils are braced for up to one million local government workers to go on strike next week as walkouts hit services from libraries to street cleaning to socialcare.
The Local Government Association, representing more than 370 councils in England and Wales, said authorities have drawn up contingency plans to keep open vital services such as care homes. However, libraries are expected to shut and bins remain unemptied as some facilities grind to a halt because authorities are operating "reduced levels of service".
"Councils will have already put in place contingency arrangements to protect some of the most vulnerable in their area," said Sarah Messenger, head of workforce at the LGA.
The union representing the largest number of local government workers, Unison, polled 750,000 staff, including home care workers, social workers, teaching assistants, school dinner ladies and cleaners. Its general secretary, Dave Prentis, has warned that members will provide minimum emergency cover. The GMB balloted a further 217,000 staff, although the turnout in both polls was around 30%. A total of around 980,000 people have been balloted.
In Southampton, employees of the city council are preparing to join the national walkout after holding a series of strikes this year in a separate dispute over wage cuts and contract changes. Bin collections will be suspended and libraries shut in the latest salvo in a war of attrition between local unions, dominated by Unite and Unison, and Conservative councillors. Southampton city council said that residential homes and children's centres would remain open following discussions with unions. "Vulnerable adults and children in the city will not be put at risk by any strike action," said the council.
Georgina Rider, pictured, an occupational therapist at the council who is planning to strike on Wednesday, said increased ! contribu tions and other changes to her pension could cost her an extra 500 a year. "I am 32, I don't own my own home, I was a mature student and I don't have any savings because I used those to put myself through university." Echoing warnings from union leaders, Rider, who earns 26,000 a year, said she might have to quit the scheme. "With the pensions contributions, I have to put even more away and I don't know if I can afford it. I have to balance it with putting money aside for a house, while fuel has become more costly and I would like to have children at some point."
Her colleague Hayley Garner, 27, a housing and community care officer and Unison shop steward, said pension changes would exacerbate the impact of a two-year pay freeze for public sector workers and, in Southampton, a pay cut of up to 5.5% a year for 4,600 staff. Garner, who earns 21,000 a year, said: "To some people I might earn a really good salary, But for the work you put in, the stress, it is not a fantastic wage." She added: "I cannot see any other way apart from going on strike on 30 November to show how upset and angry we are."
At the lower end of the council's pay scales, Southampton's street cleaners said a pension represented a crucial incentive for doing their jobs. Ray Clark, a 45-year-old grandfather, said pensions were an incentive for doing a difficult job. "Most of us start work at 6am," he said.
Clark added that street cleaning teams encountered "every kind of revolting thing you can think of" including sweeping up in the aftermath of road accidents. "I guarantee that every one of us has dealt with every kind of body fluid, without going into too much detail."
The GMB's national officer for public services, Brian Strutton, said the government's recent offer of concessions including an increase in accrual rates the amount of money you build up each year towards your pension did not apply directly to the local government pension scheme.
The LGPS is different from the health, education and civil ser! vice sch emes because it is funded through its investments, currently worth about 140bn, and not through the Treasury's budget. Therefore, the GMB argues, there is no need to take 1bn in increased contributions from the scheme.
"The government's proposals of 2 November were only 'illustrative' for the LGPS and did not constitute an offer. We have not been able to turn this into something meaningful because ministers tell us to talk to council leaders, who in turn say they're not ready. There are no LGPS negotiations going on at all."
The LGA's Messenger admitted that negotiations over the LGPS have been a "moveable feast" due to the unique structure of the fund and the three-sided negotiations. "There have been moments where it has not necessarily been entirely clear who has said what to whom."
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