Unite the union has confirmed in the face of “increasing inflationary pressures” that there has been “no negotiation with or agreement from Unite” in respect of recent cost of living pay increases or freezes.

The Unite Executive met today to discuss a number of pressing disputes and issues across both the public and private sectors. The committee also took the opportunity to fully consider the recently announced Index of Retail Prices (IRP) figure and the comments by Government to GBC that any announcements on pay rises are negotiated with the unions and are at the discretion of Government.

Christian Duo, Chair of Unite Gibraltar said: “The IRP figure of 4.3% demonstrates the rising costs that are being experienced by our members as the cost of goods and services increases, with suppliers and retailers seeking to pass on these costs to customers and consumers. Where pay is frozen or increases fail to keep pace with IRP then our members experience a real terms cut in pay and see their purchasing power diminished. There is a clear and acute recognition of the impacts of Covid, but standards of living will slip where inflation outstrips wage growth including the increases in the minimum wage.

“The union’s executive met today to discuss in full both the escalating and potential industrial action across numerous workplaces and sectors, but the committee expressed alarm and surprise at the Government’s comments to GBC that any announcements on pay rises were negotiated with the unions. There has been little or no engagement with Unite on the issue of cost of living increases in recent years and certainly no negotiations.

“The union has previously proposed to Government collective bargaining on pay and the cost of living increases, in conjunction with the other public sector trade unions and Unite believes that there should be robust bargaining framework on the issue of cost of living increases as these directly drive pay increases in the public sector and indirectly in the private sector”.