Laura Sharman 08 July 2014

Strike will not change pay offer, council staff say

The majority of council staff do not think strike action on 10 July will change the pay increase on offer, according to a new survey.

The survey of local government staff, conducted by our magazine Local Government News, found that 75% of workers do not think the national day of protest will help improve the 1% pay offer by Local Government Employers.

The survey also revealed council staff were divided on whether strike action was the best way of registering discontent over pay and conditions, with 51% saying staff should not strike this week. Of those surveyed, 43% of local government staff said they would be joining in with the day of protest.

Despite more than half (57%) saying they would not be striking this week, the majority of employees said they were unhappy with the pay increase on offer, with only 18% ‘satisfied’ with the raise.

The survey also suggests that many staff are concerned over the effect the strike will have on local government, with 62% saying it will have a negative impact on public services and service users.

Of those surveyed, 45% said the strike will damage the public reputation of local government, with 26% saying it will damage the reputation of trade unions. However, 49% said it would help raise awareness of low pay in local government.

Click here to read a selection of comments made by council staff on the upcoming strike action.

Register for your free copy of Local Government News for more in-depth coverage of issues affecting local government

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