Thousands of workers unite for Brighton pay battle (From The Argus)

Thousands of workers unite for Brighton pay battle

9:17am Monday 12th October 2009 in

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Thousands of workers are joining forces in a bitter pay battle which could bring Brighton and Hove to a standstill.

The city is bracing itself for major disruption next month as a row over council wages escalates.

Unison, which represents more than 3,500 of the city council’s 8,000-strong workforce, said it was prepared to join the GMB in a day of action over plans to cut wages of about 1,200 staff.

The union had previously taken a more moderate stance in the increasingly volatile dispute. Industrial action by Unison would cause disruption to all council services, including schools, care work and libraries.

It could be timed to coincide with expected strikes by GMB members in the council’s refuse, parks and street cleaning services on November 9.

Unison branch secretary Alex Knutson said the union’s leaders decided on the action after the council made an attempt to negotiate with the GMB separately. He said: “The council needs to be clear the two unions will continue to work together. As a result it was agreed at an emergency branch executive meeting we would join our GMB colleagues in starting the process of balloting our council membership for industrial action.”

GMB members are angry at the council’s attempt to lower their wages by up to £8,000 each to protect it from future legal claims under new equality laws.

Earlier this year the council paid out millions to other unskilled workers, including teaching assistants and school office staff, who were deemed to have been unfairly paid less than binmen and street sweepers. New council proposals will mean many other salaries will be cut because special allowances would be scrapped.

Unison’s move towards industrial action followed the rejection of a council deal and the attempted intervention in talks with the GMB by the city’s director of environment Jenny Rowlands. Mr Knutson said Unison would resume negotiations today.

GMB branch secretary Mark Turner said: “This is a desperate council in a difficult situation. To ask the director of environment to come in on her white charger indicates to me we have been talking to the wrong people for the last six months.”

A council spokesman said negotiations had taken place since July and were ongoing. He said: “The unions considered the offer and have told us they feel it is not yet acceptable. We still want to talk with the unions to try to come to an agreement on how to implement future pay and are still committed to reaching a shared view on how to go forward together.”

Gill Mitchell, leader of the opposition council Labour group, said she was losing confidence in the way the council was conducting negotiations.

She said: “We’ve been led to believe everything’s fine but it looks as if it is anything but that.”