Council workers to vote on strike action

Nov 5 2007 By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail

THOUSANDS of city council workers will be balloted on strike action next week when their new pay deals are announced.

Letters to all 40,500 effected staff are set to be sent out telling each individual what they will earn under the new pay grading system.

Union bosses expect the letters to go out after the main city council meeting tomorrow. They are planning a rally in Victoria Square ahead of the meeting at 1pm.

According to council figures about ten per cent will see their pay fall, half stay the same and 40 per cent see increases. But the five main council unions claim the effect of cutting bonuses will see far more take home less.

Unite, the TGWU, Amicus, Unison, GMB and UCATT are all preparing ballots ready for the announcement.

They claim they have not been consulted over the new pay grading and that it does not deliver equality for women, the key reason for the wholesale review of local authority pay.

Joint unions chairman Steve Foster said: "We have asked for more negotiation, but this is being imposed."