Local government is facing a strike ballot over the latest pay offer, despite union support of the prime minister's speech at the Trades Union Congress conference this week. Last week, the unions were made an improved local government pay offer of a 2.475% increase, backdated to 1 April 2007. Negotiations had been stuck at 2% for several months. Unison warned Gordon Brown he should not underestimate the real feeling of public service workers about having to ‘bear the brunt' of cost-cutting. General secretary of Unison, Dave Prentis, confirmed 800,000 local government members of his union were moving to a strike ballot to improve the latest offer. The LGA described this move as ‘deeply disappointing'. In his keynote speech to the conference, Mr Brown urged the unions to work ‘side-by-side' with the Government to raise skills and standards. The speech was largely seen as ‘conciliatory' after threats from the unions over public sector pay. Mr Brown, remaining firm on pay, told the congress: ‘Pay discipline is essential to prevent inflation growth and create more jobs.' However, the unions did give their support to the Labour leader. Mr Prentis said he appreciated the prime minister's positive announcements in his speech on jobs, skills training and protection of vulnerable workers, and his pledge to get tough on employers who dodged the minimum wage. And TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, who just days ago warned of an ‘autumn of discontent' through ‘looming strikes', widely welcomed many of the prime minister's comments. He added it was clear the Government wanted to engage with the union agenda, but said unions would always urge a Labour Government to go ‘further and faster'.
