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Ministers have left striking workers “with no choice”
after stonewalling requests for proper negotiations, say union
leaders
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Government accused of “hiding behind” pay review
bodies
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Unions call for urgent meeting with the
Chancellor
Unions have today (Wednesday) called on the government to engage
in “meaningful” pay talks and to stop its “smoke and mirrors”
tactics.
In a joint open letter to the Chancellor ,
TUC general secretary Frances
O’Grady and the chair of the
union public sector liaison group and
general secretary of UNISON, Christina
McAnea, accused ministers of refusing to negotiate
in good faith and of “hiding behind” pay review bodies.
Criticising the government’s approach to negotiations,
O’Grady and McAnea say all requests for meaningful talks on pay
have been stonewalled:
“No public sector workers want to
take strike action this winter. They are committed public
servants who take great pride in their jobs and the communities
they serve.
“But the government has left them with no choice.
“Good industrial
relations require both
parties to be willing to negotiate in good faith and to have open
conversations.
“When your cabinet colleagues have met unions they have
repeatedly refused to talk about public sector pay. Ignoring the
main issue on the table isn’t a negotiation.
“Ministers cannot continue to hide behind pay review bodies.
The government sets their remit.
“If ministers genuinely want to resolve these disputes, they
must address what's causing them.”
Highlighting the huge pay cuts public sector workers have
suffered, the union leaders warn:
“With CPI inflation over 11 per cent and RPI inflation above
14 per cent, frontline workers are facing another massive
real terms hit
to their wages.
“Nurses, ambulance staff, teachers and millions of other key
workers have already seen their living standards decimated with
over a decade of pay cuts and wage freezes.
“Nurses today are earning £5,000 a year less in real terms
than they were in 2010. And hospitals and schools are having to
set up food banks for staff.
“This cannot go on.
“Every month
dedicated employees are
quitting public services in droves – tired of being taken
for granted and of services being run down.”
Calling for an urgent meeting with the Chancellor, the
union leaders say:
“You say there is no money to fund decent pay rises. But this
boils down to political choices.
“It’s time to raise taxes on wealth – not workers.
“Now is the not time for smoke and mirrors. Now is the time
for genuine negotiations.
"Meet with unions as soon as possible – so
our public servants can get on with doing the jobs they
love and services can start to improve for everyone who
relies upon them.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The TUC’s Public Sector Liaison Group (PSLG)
represents all unions with members in the public sector and is
chaired by UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea.
The full letter reads:
Dear chancellor
We wrote to you on 4 November requesting a
meeting.
No public sector workers want to take
strike action this winter. They are committed public servants who
take great pride in their jobs and the communities they
serve.
But the government has left them with no choice.
Good industrial relations require both parties to
be willing to negotiate in good faith and to have open
conversations.
When your cabinet colleagues have met unions they have
repeatedly refused to talk about public sector pay. Ignoring the
main issue on the table isn’t a negotiation.
Ministers cannot continue to hide behind pay review bodies.
The government sets their remit.
If ministers genuinely want to resolve these disputes, they
must address what's causing them.
With CPI inflation over 11 per cent and RPI inflation above
14 per cent, frontline workers are facing another massive
realterms hit to their wages.
Nurses, ambulance staff, teachers and millions of other key
workers have already seen their living standards decimated with
over a decade of pay cuts and wage freezes.
Nurses today are earning £5,000 a year less in real terms
than they were in 2010. And hospitals and schools are having to
set up food banks for staff.
This cannot go on.
Every month dedicated employees are
quitting our public services in droves – tired
of being taken for granted and of services being run down.
You say there is no money to fund decent pay rises. But this
boils down to political choices.
It’s time to raise taxes on wealth – not workers.
Now is the not time for smoke and mirrors. Now is the time
for genuine negotiations.
Meet with unions as soon as possible – so
our public servants can get on with doing the jobs they
love and services can start to improve for everyone who
relies upon them.”
Frances O'Grady, TUC General Secretary
Christina McAnea, UNISON General Secretary and chair
of the TUC Public Sector Liasion Group
