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27
Jan 2022
Harrogate council strike action averted after national ballot
The prospect of Harrogate Borough Council staff going on strike over pay has been removed after a national ballot.
Trade union Unison balloted members over whether or not to take industrial action after members rejected a 1.75% pay increase last year.
The offer followed a national consultation from the Local Government Association over a pay increase.
Of 62% of Unison members in the Harrogate district, 74% voted to refuse the pay offer.
However, a national ballot held last month on whether to take strike action over the offer saw just 14.5% of Unison members turn out to vote.
Read more:
- Unison Harrogate rejects ‘derisory’ council staff pay offer
- Brimhams Active defends its stance on £8,000 increase for use of Ripon pool
Under government trade union laws, strike action cannot legally progress unless there is at least a 50% turnout for the ballot and the majority votes to strike. Because the national turnout was just 14.5%, the strike will not therefore take place.
David Houlgate, secretary of the Harrogate branch of Unison, said the proposed 1.75% pay offer would only increase pressure on frontline council services.
He said:
Council staff 'deeply unhappy' over pay
Unison and other trade unions have said they will now look towards next year’s pay offer.
Mike Short, head of local government at Unison, said:
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