A NATIONAL walkout by more than 1.5 million local government workers planned for next week was called off yesterday by unions.

Members of Unison, Unite and GMB were due to strike on Tuesday over a Con-Dem pay freeze which has seen the value of their wages slashed since 2010.

A statement issued by the three unions said they have suspended the action in order to consult members on new proposals put forward by the Local Government Association.

GMB national officer Brian Strutton said: “It has proved extremely difficult to persuade the local government employers to agree new pay proposals for us to consult our members on.

“But now we have an agreed set of new proposals which we will consult on and while doing that GMB is suspending the strike planned for October 14.”

Mr Strutton added more details about the deal and the consultation will be issues in the coming days.

Rail union RMT also suspended a strike planned for the same day as part of their long-running dispute over Tube ticket office closures.

RMT leader Mick Cash said the union had secured “significant movement in three key areas” through talks with London Underground bosses hosted by conciliation service Acas.
London Underground claimed it had made no new offers.

A massive strike by overworked and underpaid NHS staff which is scheduled for Monday was yesterday still to go ahead.

And, after midwives last week called their first ever strike action, radiographers announced their first walkout in over 30 years will take place on October 20.

newsed@peoples-press.com