Strikes: Portsmouth school and council workers to be balloted for strike action

Workers across schools and local authorities are to be balloted for strike action – with their union recommending that they down tools.

Published 20th May 2023, 14:37 BST

Updated 20th May 2023, 14:37 BST

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Unison is the latest union to demand that, in the face of the cost-of-living crisis, its members should be paid more.

It represents thousands of workers such as teaching assistants, social care workers, housing officers, admin assistants and many more in public sector jobs.

The union has submitted a 12.7 per cent pay claim to employers of people who are on nationally agreed pay rates and is balloting those members over strike action. It is recommending that they vote to strike in support of this claim.

Unison is balloting its members in schools and councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who are on nationally agreed pay for strike action to support its pay claim of 12.7 per cent. The postal ballot starts on 23 May and closes on 4 July. Unison is recommending members vote yes for strike action. Pictured is the Portsmouth Unison group

"The government keep telling us inflation will fall by the end of the year, but I have no confidence in their promises. In any case, the huge price rises that have already eaten into our wages will continue to do so. The cost of our 12.7% pay claim is approximately £1.1B. Half of this comes straight back to central government through increased tax payments and reduced benefits. This year's spring budget gave £9B of tax cuts to big business. During the pandemic £10B was wasted on PPE contracts that didn’t deliver. Central government can afford to fully fund the pay increase we need, and our schools and councils need. The only way we can get fair pay for school and council workers is to vote for strike action." said Jon Woods, Portsmouth City UNISON Branch Chair

Photo shows members of Portsmouth City UNISON getting behind the pay campaign at a meeting on 17 May 2023. — Unison is balloting its members in schools and councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who are on nationally agreed pay for strike action to support its pay claim of 12.7 per cent. The postal ballot starts on 23 May and closes on 4 July. Unison is recommending members vote yes for strike action. Pictured is the Portsmouth Unison group "The government keep telling us inflation will fall by the end of the year, but I have no confidence in their promises. In any case, the huge price rises that have already eaten into our wages will continue to do so. The cost of our 12.7% pay claim is approximately £1.1B. Half of this comes straight back to central government through increased tax payments and reduced benefits. This year's spring budget gave £9B of tax cuts to big business. During the pandemic £10B was wasted on PPE contracts that didn’t deliver. Central government can afford to fully fund the pay increase we need, and our schools and councils need. The only way we can get fair pay for school and council workers is to vote for strike action." said Jon Woods, Portsmouth City UNISON Branch Chair Photo shows members of Portsmouth City UNISON getting behind the pay campaign at a meeting on 17 May 2023.

Unison is balloting its members in schools and councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who are on nationally agreed pay for strike action to support its pay claim of 12.7 per cent. The postal ballot starts on 23 May and closes on 4 July. Unison is recommending members vote yes for strike action. Pictured is the Portsmouth Unison group

"The government keep telling us inflation will fall by the end of the year, but I have no confidence in their promises. In any case, the huge price rises that have already eaten into our wages will continue to do so. The cost of our 12.7% pay claim is approximately £1.1B. Half of this comes straight back to central government through increased tax payments and reduced benefits. This year's spring budget gave £9B of tax cuts to big business. During the pandemic £10B was wasted on PPE contracts that didn’t deliver. Central government can afford to fully fund the pay increase we need, and our schools and councils need. The only way we can get fair pay for school and council workers is to vote for strike action." said Jon Woods, Portsmouth City UNISON Branch Chair

Photo shows members of Portsmouth City UNISON getting behind the pay campaign at a meeting on 17 May 2023. — Unison is balloting its members in schools and councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who are on nationally agreed pay for strike action to support its pay claim of 12.7 per cent. The postal ballot starts on 23 May and closes on 4 July. Unison is recommending members vote yes for strike action. Pictured is the Portsmouth Unison group "The government keep telling us inflation will fall by the end of the year, but I have no confidence in their promises. In any case, the huge price rises that have already eaten into our wages will continue to do so. The cost of our 12.7% pay claim is approximately £1.1B. Half of this comes straight back to central government through increased tax payments and reduced benefits. This year's spring budget gave £9B of tax cuts to big business. During the pandemic £10B was wasted on PPE contracts that didn’t deliver. Central government can afford to fully fund the pay increase we need, and our schools and councils need. The only way we can get fair pay for school and council workers is to vote for strike action." said Jon Woods, Portsmouth City UNISON Branch Chair Photo shows members of Portsmouth City UNISON getting behind the pay campaign at a meeting on 17 May 2023.

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Unison says that as the Retail Price Index of inflation was 13.8 per cent on April 1, the offer of a flat rate increase of £1,925 is not enough, as this equates to a real-terms pay cut this year alone of between 4.3 per cent and 9.75 per cent. The union says this comes on top of a real-terms pay cut of 25 per cent since 2010, the reason why many people – despite having full-time jobs – are having to use food banks and make cutbacks.

The postal ballot starts on May 23 and closes on July 4.

‘The government keep telling us inflation will fall by the end of the year, but I have no confidence in their promises,’ said Jon Woods, Portsmouth City Unison branch chair. ‘In any case, the huge price rises that have already eaten into our wages will continue to do so. The cost of our 12.7 per cent pay claim is approximately £1.1bn.

‘Half of this comes straight back to central government through increased tax payments and reduced benefits. This year's spring budget gave £9bn of tax cuts to big business. During the pandemic £10bn was wasted on PPE contracts that didn’t deliver. Central government can afford to fully fund the pay increase we need, and our schools and councils need. The only way we can get fair pay for school and council workers is to vote for strike action.’

This year has seen a series of strikes involving teaching staff, health workers and other public servants.

UNISON Strikes Portsmouth Teachers PPE