Leaders at Birmingham City Council have expressed dismay after workers voted to strike over plans to restructure pay and conditions. Officials defended the grading review which, they said, would ‘even out decades of unfair, over-inflated and inconsistent pay', after staff confirmed their strike would begin on 5 February. Union leaders claimed some workers would lose as much as £18,000 a year. The council said almost half of staff would get significant pay increases. The dispute has become deadlocked with officials claiming just 10% of staff – 4,462 people – had voted to go on strike. The council also claimed Whitehall was responsible for the problems. Unison regional secretary, Valerie Broom, said: ‘Taking strike action is always the last resort, but the unfair new contracts have come as a hammer blow to staff and their families.'
