SOMERSET county council UNISON members have voted to reject their employer’s redundancy offer.
According to the union, the authority had offered minimal redundancy compensation and one years’ pay protection for downgraded staff, with a threat of further reductions later in the year.
The ballot of all UNISON members finished on Valentine’s Day and almost 100 per cent of them rejected the offer.
The union said a ‘significant majority’ of members have also supported some form of industrial action for a ‘fair and sustainable’ settlement.
Helen Eccles, UNISON regional organiser, said: “UNISON members have given us a very clear mandate with almost a 100 per centre rejection of the employer’s offer, with this mandate we urged Somerset County Council today to return to the negotiating table, work in partnership and negotiate a way forward to avoid potential industrial action.”
This week the county council and UNISON signed a joint letter urging Somerset MPs to help the authority spread the cost of redundancies across a number of years.
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