Yorkshire council staff to vote on action

The GMB union has announced the vote at Sheffield Council as a "litmus test" to see if there is appetite for a strike among members.

The council is facing a 15 per cent reduction in its Government grants for the next financial year, which will equate to a cut of 49m in its annual budget of 585m.

Council leader Paul Scriven said the authority intends to press ahead with plans to freeze pay increments and reduce staff benefits such as sick pay, to help make up some of the shortfall.

The GMB organiser in Sheffield, Peter Davies, said: "The council is determined to freeze increments and halve sick pay with nothing in the first three days of absence.

"We believe he's pushed the workforce too far and we are now consulting with GMB members with regard to what they want us to do – that includes the potential of strike action."

Coun Scriven said that less than 50 per cent of the council's 13,000 staff are in a trade union and the changes to increments would go through "whether or not the unions are happy".

Coun Scriven said a concession has been made to the lowest-paid staff, who will receive a 250 pay rise if earning less than 21,000.

Meanwhile, teaching assistants at a troubled Sheffield secondary school are also preparing to ballot for industrial action over changes which they claim could result in pay cuts of up to 8,000.

Sheffield Park Academy, which is currently classed as "failing", has 19 assistants who currently earn around 17,000 a year.

Rob Padley, officer for Unison which represents the staff, said: "The assistants are especially bitter as these proposals come at a time when the academy is employing consultants to try to turn things round at a cost of 600 a day."