MARGARET Eaton, the Conservative chair of the Local Government Association, is quoted in The Bolton News (March 10) as being “extremely surprised and disappointed” at the ACAS announcement of an additional 0.3 per cent pay rise for Local Government workers. For the benefit of your readers, I would like to put the record straight.

A pay claim was made in January, 2008, for six per cent, when inflation was running at five per cent, a modest claim in anyone’s books. An offer of 2.45 per cent was made and rejected by members. Pay settlements in the private sector were averaging four per cent.

In September, 2008, the employers and trade unions jointly agreed to “binding arbitration”. This means both sides agree for an independent body (ACAS) to look at the claim. ACAS did not uphold the full claim made by unions but marginally improved the employer’s original offer by 0.3 per cent. The pay award should have been in the pay packets of local government workers on April 1, 2008! No reference has been made to the savings made by not paying the claim on time.

Like all other workers, our members working for councils still have the same council tax, income tax, food and utility bills to pay. At 2.75 per cent, this amounts to an effective pay cut, based on last year’s inflation.

Cllr Cliff Morris, the leader of Bolton Council, rightly points out that, as an employer, the council will implement National Agreements and describes the offer as “fair”. If Margaret Eaton is concerned there isn’t enough money in council budgets to pay the award without making job cuts, she should turn to the Chancellor. Alistair Darling has no problem finding billions of pounds for the discredited banking system and reaching “compromise” agreements with the likes of Fred Goodwin, which secured him a £700,000 per year pension for life!

Bernadette Gallagher, Branch Secretary, Bolton UNISON