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20
Jul 2023
Harrogate council staff strike averted after low ballot turnout
Harrogate council staff at North Yorkshire Council will not strike after there was a lower turnout in a ballot than what is legally required for industrial action.
Unison, which also represents school workers in the county, balloted members over pay for six weeks this summer.
The union argued council staff have lost 25% from their pay when measured against the retail price index, which is a measure of inflation, over the last 12 years.
It was asking for a pay rise of 2% above the RPI for 2023, which would have resulted in an increase of 12.7% per employee.
However, the the National Joint Council for local government services, which determines pay for council workers, has offered a flat rate increase of £1,925.
Despite 75% of members voting in favour of strike action there was a turnout of 31%, lower than the 50% required to implement a strike.
David Houlgate, Unison branch secretary for Harrogate, said there has been a “chronic underfunding” of local government for over a decade.
He said:
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