Islington Labour is calling for the Tory Government to fund a proper pay rise for dedicated local council and school workers.
At Full Council on Thursday 26th September, an Islington Labour motion was unanimously passed which calls on the Tory Government to fully fund a proper pay rise for local council and school workers who have endured real-terms pay cuts since 2010.
The call follows a pay claim submitted earlier this year by GMB, Unite the Union and Unison on behalf of the 1.4 million people working in schools and councils across the country. The pay claim, which attempts to reverse the real-terms pay cuts suffered by local government staff since 2010, would see a 10 per cent pay rise for all Local Government workers, with the lowest paid staff earning at least £10 per hour.
Crucially, the pay rise must be funded by central government, as, since 2010, Islington Council has lost 70% of its core central government funding and will have been forced to make savings of £275 million in total from its budget by 2022.
Across the country, ongoing cuts from central government have seen local government workers’ earnings decrease by up to 22 per cent since 2010, whilst staff are having to manage ever increasing workloads.
Despite these ongoing Tory Government cuts, under Islington Labour’s leadership, Islington Council is committed to making the borough a fairer place for all.
Islington Council has become one of the first employers in London to be awarded the Good Work Standard by the Mayor of London in recognition of its positive employment practices, including becoming the first Living Wage Council in the country in 2012.
Cllr Andy Hull, Executive Member for Finance, Performance and Community Safety, said:
“Council staff play a central role in making Islington a fairer place for all. Without their dedication, we would not be able to deliver the vital services that local people rely on and make a difference on the issues that matter most to residents
“The Tory Government’s austerity agenda and damaging cuts have seen our dedicated staff endure years of real-terms pay cuts.
“It’s time the Tory Government reversed the years of cuts to our public services and fully funded a fair and proper pay rise for local government workers.”
Helen Purcell, the GMB’s regional organiser for Islington, said:
“We welcome Islington Labour’s commitment to a decent and properly funded pay increase for its hard-working staff. Our members have endured years of pay restraint under this Government with real term pay cuts of up to 22%. Many of our members are low paid so can ill afford such substantial pay cuts.
“Support from a forward thinking council like Islington will help bolster our campaign for decent and fair pay in the public sector”
Islington Labour’s motion to Full Council can be read in full here.