‘Woeful’ local government pay offer would leave teaching assistants £4,000 worse off
“Nursery staff would be down £6,000 and social workers almost £10,000 since 2009 if deal was accepted”, says GMB Union
New GMB analysis shows 1.4 million local government workers would be thousands of pounds worse off if the accepted a ‘woeful’ pay deal.
Unions yesterday turned down local government pay offer of 2% in 2020/21 - lower than projected inflation.
If the deal had been accepted, it would mean than a qualified residential care worker's wages will have been slashed by an average of £6,800 in real terms since local government pay constraints were first imposed in 2009.
Teaching assistants will have had their pay cut by £4,000, nursery workers £5,900 and refuse collectors £4,800 by April 2021 under the offer tabled by employers. [1]
Rehana Azam, GMB National Secretary, said: “This offer isn’t really a pay rise – it’s yet more pay cuts dressed up as a deal.
“After having their real terms pay slashed year after year since the Conservatives have been in power, our members have had enough.
“The Government needs to show it values school and council workers and negotiate a proper deal that makes up for the past ten years of pay injustice.”
Media enquiries: GMB Press Office on 07958 156846 or at press.office@gmb.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
[1] Real terms changes in FTE pay for workers at the top of their pay bands under a 2% pay offer, April 2009 to April 2021
Homeless prevention officer - down by £9,300 (22.6%)
Teaching assistant - down by £4,000 (19.5%)
Qualified residential care worker - down by £6,800 (22.3%)
Social worker - down by £9,800 (22.5%)
Refuse worker - down by £4,800 (19.4%)
Nursery assistant - down by £5,900 (22.1%)
GMB estimates based on the ONS Retail Prices Index timeseries and OBR projects of future inflation.
