Chesterfield: Council housing maintenance workers begin strike

The National Joint Council sets pay deals for local authority employees across the country

More than 100 housing maintenance workers at a Derbyshire council have begun industrial action in a dispute over pay.

The Chesterfield Borough Council workers are the first among Unite union members across the country to strike after rejecting an offer in April.

Members turned down a pay rise of £1,925, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

They will walk out on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The LDRS said the council's workers also wanted rules to change over the way in which local bonus pay calculations were made.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite does what it says on the trade union tin and always puts jobs, pay and conditions of its members first.

"The workers at Chesterfield council will receive the union's complete support."

Unite members at other local authorities in England and Wales have said they plan to strike during September, said the LDRS.

Gavin Baldauf-Good, a cabinet member for the council, said the authority was committed to finding a resolution.

He added: "Chesterfield Borough Council is one of 300-plus councils that pay their staff in accordance with National Joint Council (NJC) pay rates.

"These are negotiated at a national level and on an annual basis by the NJC for local government services, which is made up of representatives from the employer side and the three recognised trade unions, Unison, GMB and the Unite union."

The council said emergency council house repairs and call-outs to elderly and vulnerable tenants would be prioritised over other services during the strike.