17/10/2014

Council Pay Decision Welcome

GMB welcomed the decision by Merthyr Council not to go ahead with unilateral imposition of up to 3% pay cut for council workers.

Gareth Morgans, Regional Organiser, said: "A demonstration outside the Civic Centre prior to a Council meeting led to the Council, at the very last minute, pulling a report which would have given executive powers to the Chief Executive Officer for him to issue a Section 188 notice to enforce a cut of up to 3% in the pay of Council workers.

"In a meeting which lasted only minutes, the Leader of the Council read a statement to advise members that the Report to Council was not proceeding.

If Merthyr had gone ahead with this, it would have been the starting pistol to a race to the bottom in cutting terms and conditions outside of the NJC Agreement.

"By forcing this U-turn, we have preserved the integrity of the National Joint Council Agreement on terms and conditions. The fear was always if one Council goes down this road successfully, then others will follow.

"Members can now look to approaching Christmas without the fear of termination and re-engagement on lesser terms and conditions hanging over them."

(CD/JP)

Related Northern Ireland Recruitment News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

25 June 2009
Male Council Workers Receive Equal Pay In 'Landmark' Case
Almost 300 male council workers in England have succeeded in a "landmark" sex discrimination ruling yesterday. More than 12,000 men in low-paid jobs could now bring equal pay claims, after the test case in which 300 men working as care assistants, caretakers, drivers and leisure attendants lodged complaints against three English councils.
03 March 2015
Bin Lorry Drivers To Strike Over Pay Cut
GMB members, employed as bin lorry drivers for Barking & Dagenham Council Environmental Services, have voted to strike over a £1,000 a year pay cut. The ballot produced a 90% turnout.
05 September 2016
Industrial Action Suspended Over Docklands And Coperforma Failures
GMB the union has suspended industrial action planned for today, 05 September, over on-going issues around Docklands and Coperforma failures to honour outstanding back pay and associated issues from dismissal and re-engagement threats.
19 October 2017
Statutory Pay For Construction Sector Fixed With New Law
Ireland's Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Pat Breen, has signed into law an Order fixing statutory minimum pay, pension and sick pay entitlements for craftsmen, construction operatives and apprentices employed in the construction Sector.
11 December 2014
Housing Charity Employees To Go On Strike Over Pay Cuts
The housing charity Shelter is set to be hit by a three-day strike next week as union Unite announced that 400 of its members would be walking out from Tuesday 16 December over pay cuts of up to £5,000 for frontline staff.