Today GMB Hounslow Branch sent the following letter to the Councillors at LBH
Councillor Steve Curran
London Borough of Hounslow
Dear Councillor Curran
GMB is proud to be the Union for Local Government and Schools Workers. As you will be aware GMB along with the other recognised Public Services Unions submitted a catch up pay claim for 2020/21.
Years of pay restraints have resulted in Local Government and School employees suffering a real term pay cut of up to 22% since 2010.
To allow our members and your employees to catch up to where their pay should have been, if not for austerity, GMB called for the 2020/21 pay award to be fully funded by Central Government.
GMB knows that the LGA estimates a funding gap of £8billion by 2025, and that one in three Councils fear that they will run out of funding to provide even their statutory legal duties by 2022/23.
GMB believes the Government needs to take responsibility and fully fund increases in pay. Local Authority funding has been decimated because of the unjust and unfair Austerity imposed on Local Government. And GMB hopes therefore, you will be able to support your employees and our members in campaigning for a meaningful and decent pay award funded by Central Government.
GMB Hounslow very much hope that you and your colleagues on the Council, as a collective will show your appreciation and support of all Local Government and Schools workers by:
- Meeting with your local NJC Union Representatives to convey support for the claim.
- Write to the Secretary of State calling for a catch up pay increase for all Local Government and Schools workers to be fully funded with new money from Central Government.
- Write to the Local Government Association NJC Representatives calling for a meaningful pay award that recognises the invaluable contribution made by Local Government and Schools workers, that will allow them to start catching up to where their pay would have been, had it not been for years of austerity and cuts to Local Government funding.
Thank you for time and consideration and we look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Dave Couchman-Boor
Branch Secretary Hounslow Branch
c.c. All group Councillors
Posted: 6th March 2020