On Tuesday 6 November 1,500 council workers demonstrated outside Birmingham town hall in protest at a âsingle statusâ pay deal which will affect 40,000 staff.
Although purportedly intended to even out pay gaps between men and women, many women and many of the lowest paid workers will be hit hardest by the new contract. Many staff will lose around ÂŁ6,000 from their annual pay packets, and one admin worker will see as much as ÂŁ10,000 â half of her salary â slashed.
Overall, 12 percent of council employees will suffer pay cuts, with many others forced to work longer hours for the same wages. Both these staff and workers who stand to gain from the deal attended the 6 November protests, holding placards with the slogan âshove the pay structure â shove flexibilityâ â it is feared that the new pay and hours are a means of softening the council up for privatisationâ.
But the unions at the council have promised a response to the âsingle statusâ pay offer. Unison and Unite will be holding a mass rally on 1 December and are planning to ballot their members for strike action.
