Local government unions have called for an 11% pay rise for social workers to meet the rising cost of living.
The pay claim has been made by UNISON, Unite and the GMB and calls for salaries to rise in line with the retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation for April, which was 11.1%, or £2,000, whichever is higher for the individual.
The secretary for the employers’ negotiating team, Naomi Cooke has said that councils were budgeting for around a 2% rise this year.
Mike Short, head of local government at UNISON representing an estimated 40,000 social workers across the UK, commented, “If the pandemic showed anything, it was that council workers provide invaluable services to keep communities safe. Time and again they went above and beyond to look after people in their area. But they can’t run services on thin air. Many staff are struggling to make ends meet and unless they’re paid properly, many will decide to quit for better paid work elsewhere.
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