Local government unions representing 1.4m council and school employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are demanding a decent wage rise as they submit their annual pay claim today (Friday).
UNISON, GMB and Unite say a substantial award is essential as staff continue to struggle with rising living costs, having missed out on the higher wage settlements paid out to workers in other parts of the public sector in the past year.
This year’s joint union pay claim, which would apply from this April, is for all council employees to receive a wage rise of £3,000*.
The value of local government and school staff pay has plummeted for more than a decade, the unions say, with their wage settlement for 2024-25 averaging 2.5%. That’s compared with 5.5% for teaching staff and more than 6% for many doctors in the next pay year.
In the 2025/26 pay claim, the unions also call for a minimum hourly rate of £15, an extra day of annual leave, a reduction of two hours in the working week and for school staff to have the right to take at least one day of leave within term time.
Council employees – including refuse collectors, librarians, teaching assistants, care workers, cleaners and catering staff – must be rewarded for the vital local services they help provide, say the unions.
Otherwise, councils and schools risk an exodus of public servants to private sector employers offering higher wages, lower workloads and better perks.
In their submission to local government employers, the unions point out that council staff have seen 25% wiped from the value of their pay since 2010.
More than 900,000 jobs have also been lost across local government over the same period, with cuts disproportionately affecting women, the unions say.
UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: “Services provided by council and school workers are vital for communities to thrive. But wages have remained low, and without decent pay, staff feel undervalued and are looking for better-paid work elsewhere. A proper pay offer is essential.
“It’s bad news for everyone if there aren’t enough council and school employees to keep neighbourhoods safe, care for vulnerable people and give pupils the education they need.”
GMB national officer Sharon Wilde said: “It’s essential our school support staff, local authority and council workers are offered a decent pay rise for this year.
“It is vital that central government invests in the schools and local government workforce. GMB members tell us low pay, funding cuts and increasing workloads are the biggest issues facing them and their colleagues at work.
“A decent pay rise is needed for staff to feel valued at work and to retain these vital public sector workers who are essential to our society.”
Unite national officer for local government Clare Keogh said: “After years of real-term pay cuts, local government employers need to recognise that there is growing anger among workers, especially the lowest paid, about the way they are treated year after year.
“Employers must meaningfully negotiate this year to ensure a decent pay rise.”
Notes to editors:
– *The three local government unions, UNISON, GMB and Unite, have submitted a claim for £3,000 on all pay points for 2025-26, which would apply to staff working full time. The payment would apply pro-rata for those working part time.
Media contacts:
UNISON M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
GMB M: 07958 156846 E: press.office@gmb.org.uk
Unite M: 07718 666592 E: David.Carnell@unitetheunion.org
The article Council and school staff are overdue a significant pay rise, say unions first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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