This motion has been brought forward by Walsall Labour Group Leader Councillors Aftab Nawaz, and is supported by Walsall Labour Group Deputy Leader Councillor Khizar Hussain, Councillor Lee Jeavons, Councillor Rose Burley, Councillor Angela Underhill, Councillor Naheed Gultasib and Councillor Richard Worrall:
Walsall Council notes that:
- Government has endured central government funding cuts of nearly 50%
since 2010. - Between 2010 and 2020, councils will have lost 60p out of every £1 they have
received from central government. - The 2019 LGA survey of council finances found that 1 in 3 councils fear they
will run out of funding to provide even their statutory, legal duties by 2022/23.
This number rises to almost two thirds of councils by 2024/2025 or later. - The LGA estimates councils will face a funding gap of £8 billion by 2025.
- Faced with these cuts from central government, the local government
workforce has endured years of pay restraint with the majority of pay points
losing 22 per cent of their value since 2009/10. - At the same time as seeing their pay go down in real terms, workers
experience ever increasing workloads and persistent job insecurity. Across
the UK, an estimated 876,000 jobs have been lost in local government since
June 2010 – a reduction of 30 per cent. Local government has arguably been
hit by more severe job losses than any other part of the public sector. - There has been a disproportionate impact on women, with women making up
more than three quarters of the local government workforce.
This council believes:
- Our workers are public service heroes. They keep our communities clean,
care for those in need, and keep our towns and cities running. - Without the professionalism and dedication of our staff, the council services
our residents rely on would not be deliverable. - Government funding has been cut to the extent that a proper pay rise could
result in a reduction in local government services. - The government needs to take responsibility and fully fund increases in pay; it
should not put the burden on local authorities whose funding been cut to the
bone.
This council resolves to:
- Support the pay claim submitted by Unite, GMB and UNISON to central
government on behalf of council and school workers for a £10 per hour
minimum wage and a 10% uplift across all other pay points in 2020/21. - Call on the Local Government Association to make urgent representations to
central government to fund the National Joint Council (NJC) pay claim. - Write to the Chancellor and Secretary of State to call for a pay increase for
local government workers to be funded with new money from central
government. - Meet with local NJC union representatives to convey support for the pay
claim. - Communicate with all local government workers encouraging them to join a
trade union.
This motion will be presented and voted on at the Full Council Meeting on Monday 16th September 2019.
The full motion and background can be viewed online on the link below: