THURROCK Council be facing more strike action by council workers after the authority announced it planned to give front line workers a pay rise well below inflation – while senior managers get a slightly lower increase but in real teams will pocket much more cash.

The council has proposed lower pay scale workers will get a 2.5 per cent increase, while higher paid staff would get 2.25 per cent. The current national rate of inflation is 5.4 per cent and household costs are forecast to soar duiring the coming year.

In real terms that means an average lower pay scale worker at the council, who currently receives an annual salary of between £18,186 and £22,614, would get an annual increase under the proposed new deal around £10 a week.

In contrast an average senior manager, one of more than 220 people at the council earning more than £50,000 a year, would be paid around £32 a week more.

And at the top of the scale, the council's CEO, Lyn Carpenter, is set to get an increase in excess of £80 a week.

At a meeting this coming week councillors will hear that pay negotiations for this year's rise have stalled and unions are currently balloting members for strike action.

In a report to the full council meeting on Wednesday (23 February) portfolio holder Cllr Jack Duffin tells members 'the current expectation is that an agreement will not be reached before 1 April 2022 and could result in an agreement not being reached.

'The independent pay review commissioned by the council recommends that, with effect from 1 April 2022, the council implements an increase of 2.5% for Bands A & B and 2.25% for Bands C to I'

In addition to the disquiet over pay – the council is also currently negotiating with unions to cut hundreds of jobs over the next two years as it bids to plug a funding gap of £34.3 million. At least 250 jobs are set to go.

A statement from a regional representative of one of the unions representing workers says the council needs to be more realistic and that past cuts in pay are catching up with the authority and it risks losing key staff because it can't match the rise in inflation.

Unison eastern regional organiser Leon Kilbourn says: "While we recognise that Thurrock is in a parlous financial state, years of real-terms pay cuts are leaving staff as poor as the council.

"There's a real danger local authorities and schools will now lose staff to employers willing and able to grant above-inflation wage rises. Supermarkets, hospitality outlets and other private sector firms have either made, or are considering, pay increases allowing workers to keep on top of rocketing bills."

Mr Kilbourn added: "Thurrock can do more to stop the rot, but what council and school staff need is a real cash injection from the government and proper recognition of their vital work before, during and after the pandemic."

Possible strike action could see a return to scenes last year when members of the Unite union withdrew their labour over terms and conditions within the environmental services department. Bins were uncollected and huge piles of rubbish built up at collection points across the borough during a six week strike that ended with workers claiming victory.