Labour could face strike from its own party staff after employees reject pay deal Staff voted against a pay increase offer that would have been below inflation for some members

Labour could be facing industrial action from its own staff members after they voted to reject a below inflation pay increase offered by the party.

Staff voted against accepting the final pay offer at an emergency meeting, despite being advised by unions to accept the new proposal.

According to reports, staff voted by 137-37 against the new offer which included giving every employee £800 plus five extra days off over Christmas.

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They were unhappy with the offer from general secretary Jennie Formby as it would break tradition of pay rises at or above inflation in the party.

Final offer

The final offer had been increased from an initial offer of £600 to £750, both of which were unanimously rejected.

It would have meant that some workers would still have a real-terms pay cut as the pay rise is below the rate of inflation.

Politics Home’s Kevin Schofield tweeted that a member present told the meeting: “We are supposed to be the fucking Labour Party”.

I'm told that the pay offer was rejected by 137-37 and that some people left the meeting calling for strike action.

One member of staff is said to have told the meeting: "We are supposed to be the fucking Labour Party." — Kevin Schofield (@KevinASchofield) May 8, 2019

The party said to staff that this was “the final offer that can be achieved through negotiation” meaning that staff’s decision to reject the offer could pave the way for further action.

Unions Unit and the GMB has recommended to staff that they should accept the deal, conceding it was “the best offer we are likely to receive from management through negotiation”.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party is engaged in pay talks with our staff unions and we await feedback from the union reps about how today’s meeting went.”

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