LGA statement on public pay announcement and local government

Cllr Peter Marland, Chair of the LGA’s Economy and Resources Board, said: “Public sector workers do an incredible job to keep local services running day-in, day-out. However, while it is good that the Government will fund higher pay awards for parts of the public sector, the announcement did not provide any additional funding for pay in local government. Pay awards in local government are funded through council budgets. Those budgets continue to face severe and unprecedented challenges and therefore the pay offer in local government needs to be affordable to the sector.

“The LGA will continue to make the case that local government faces huge workforce recruitment and retention problems, with more than 9 in 10 councils experiencing issues, and this must be addressed as part of the wider discussions we are having with government over our funding. There is a risk that if these issues are not addressed then recruitment and retention in local government will be even harder.”