A strike planned for 10 July will not change the terms of a pay proposal, which offers council workers the ‘best possible’ deal in such a challenging economic climate.
Steve Thomas CBE, CEO of the Welsh Local Government Association said:
“The pay offer that has been made would increase the pay of most employees by one per cent, while the lowest paid would receive an increase of more than four per cent. This is the fairest and ‘best possible’ deal for our employees given the limits of what we can afford in the current climate, and any future strike action will achieve little in altering what is now a painful new financial reality for local councils in Wales.
“As local government employers we have complete sympathy with the general frustration of the trade unions. Austerity has had a huge impact on many local government employees, as has the continued sense of insecurity that has been created by ongoing speculation around future local government reform. Local government workers continue to respond admirably at a time when councils are tackling the biggest funding cuts in living memory, and we have no doubt that many of these employees will still be at work on the day of strike action. Disruption to core services is expected to remain minimal.
“The financial and service demand pressures being placed on our already fragile local public services mean that there simply will be no other pay offer made to employees. It is highly unfortunate that a small minority of union members are now encouraging a day of strike action that will see their members lose a day’s wage, when the stark financial reality is that there is simply no money available to allow employers to improve the offer that has already been tabled.”
