Bolton: Unison members back pay rise for 'vital' workers

This comes as unions, including, Unison, lodge a claim for council employees all over the country to receive a wage rise of 12.7 per cent.

The claim will come into effect from April this year and will include staff across all kinds of local public service sectors.

Bolton Unison acting branch secretary Jayne Clarke said: “Bolton Unison fully supports this pay claim.

“We know that many of our members have faced increased workloads because of austerity cuts with household budgets stretched to the limit by the cost-of-living crisis.

Bolton town hall (Image: Newsquest)

“Council and school workers are often in low-paid roles, earning little more than the minimum wage.

"The pay claim quite rightly asks employers to look at introducing a minimum pay rate of £15 per hour over the next two years.

“Council employees, including refuse collectors, librarians, teaching assistants, care workers, cleaners and catering staff, all deserve better pay and working conditions for providing vital community services.”

Union officials say that their claim is essential to rebuilding public services after years of cuts and pay restraints at local authorities like Bolton.

As well as Unison, the claim is also backed by the GMB and Unite unions.

In their submission made earlier this week on Tuesday January 31 they claimed that people working for local government have seen around 25 per cent wiped off the value of their pay since 2010.

They say that low wages have led to many workers leaving the public sector altogether to seek better paid jobs elsewhere.

Unison head of local government Mike Short said: “Council and school workers provide invaluable services.

“They keep communities safe, educate future generations and look after the most vulnerable, but councils can’t function without staff.

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“Many workers are struggling to make ends meet and unless they’re paid properly, more will quit for better paid work elsewhere.

“Employers must make a decent pay offer and the government needs to invest properly in the local government and school workforce to ensure important services are fit for the future.”

Pay for local government workers is set by the National Joint Council rather than at local level.