OUTRAGED unions are demanding Wyre Forest District Council drop controversial staff pay proposals amid claims the authority has misled workers.

The council is looking to implement its own package of a 4.5 per cent pay rise over four years from 2018 - as well as ending long service awards - instead of re-joining National Joint Council (NJC) negotiations, as the unions want.

But a letter - sent from chief executive Ian Miller to staff in 2014 - has emerged that appears to give assurance that the council would go back to national bargaining from April 2018 once the current four-year deal ends.

It states: “For April 2018 onwards, the council will again participate and comply with any pay award through national pay bargaining between the NJC.”

At a full council meeting on Wednesday (September 27), council leader Marcus Hart strongly denied claims from opposition members they had reneged on a deal.

And a council spokesman added that a decision taken in September last year to enable Mr Miller to enter into negotiations with unions for 2018-22 “superseded any previous decisions or intentions regarding pay”.

At the meeting, the council approved a report which will allow Mr Miller to carry on negotiations with the unions for 45 days with a view to seeking implementation. The report also stated that staff who don’t accept the final offer will be served redundancy notices before being re-engaged.

But both UNISON and GMB unions said they will be seeking answers during further consultation with council officials. They will also request an urgent investigation into the 2014 letter.

Steve Akers, UNISON Regional Organiser, said: “Whatever Councillor Hart claims, what should concern him and his conservative colleagues is that the 300 staff at Wyre Forest District Council now feel that their employer has reneged on a commitment previously made to them.

"They should now prove they are a listening administration, as they claim, and drop their proposals on local pay and ending the continuous long service award.”

GMB Senior Organiser Stuart Richards added: “It appears that workers were issued with a statement that clearly confirms that Wyre Forest District Council would return to NJC national pay arrangements in 2018.

“This seems to have been unequivocal and formed a fundamental part of those arrangements.

"Based on this, we are extremely concerned that the information given to councillors on Wednesday appears to be factually incorrect. If this has mislead councillors, then their decision has to be brought into question."

But Councillor Hart said: “I have never promised staff that we would return to national pay bargaining – and neither has my administration. My comments were made in good faith.

“There is no question of staff being misled. Our proposals set out to give staff a fair pay increase that is affordable. Pay rises above those being proposed will simply put council jobs at risk and affect services and that is in no-one’s best interest.

“I genuinely hope that over the next 45 days we are able to reach a mutually agreeable position with the unions for the benefit of everyone.”