UK social workers could be taking industrial action in response to the £1,925 pay offer for 2023-24.
The unions; UNISON, Unite and GMB, will ballot its members to gauge whether they would be willing to strike for an improved deal.
Currently, the three unions have all agreed that the pay offer is not satisfactory and have urged staff to reject it too.
If the pay offer went ahead, those making up to £49,950 would be eligible for the £1,925 increase. Workers on salaries higher than this would be given the equivalent of a 3.88% rise.
For social workers, this would work out to be a 6.4% pay rise - although it only applies to those on salaries of up to £47,665.
UNISON’s head of local government, Mike Short said: “These unsung workers deserve to be properly rewarded.
“But this offer falls short of what’s needed when the value of their pay has been chipped away for years and bills are soaring.
“Preparations are now under way to ballot council and school employees to see if they’re prepared to strike to achieve a better deal.”
Unite acting national officer Clare Keogh added: “Local government employers need to recognise that there is growing anger among local government workers about the way they are treated year after year in pay negotiations. If the employers want to avoid industrial action they need to make a much improved offer. It is as simple as that.”
GMB’S national officer, Sharon Wilde shared a similar view: “Simply put, this deal isn’t enough to make up for a decade of austerity, followed by a cost-of-living crisis.”
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