Council workers in Scotland threaten to strike if improved pay offer not received

Local government workers in Scotland could go on strike for the third year in a row, it has been warned.

Unison has said its members are to be consulted about strike action after council employers failed to make any significant improvement on pay.

The union said it has been in talks with COSLA for several days but offers put forward are “nowhere near the expectations of the staff it represents”.

A formal written offer is expected within days but without any “substantial improvement” it would be rejected prompting them to move to the first stage of a strike ballot.

Meanwhile, COSLA has said it is “disappointed” in the decision by Unison to go public with a threat of balloting for strike action before all options have been explored.

UNISON local government committee chair Colette Hunter said: “Pay talks with COSLA have been cordial. But asking council workers to take a real terms wage cut once again is unacceptable.

“As things stand, employers are miles away from offering anything staff are likely to accept. It’s clear no lessons seem to have been learned from last year’s strikes over pay.

“An offer in writing is expected very soon, but there’s little hope that a strike consultation can be avoided. No one wants a repeat of last year’s disruption, but it’s been made abundantly clear that staff cannot wait for months to get a fair pay offer.”

UNISON Scotland’s local government lead David O’Connor added: “Unison hoped to have a local government pay deal agreed last month.

“But despite a pay claim being submitted at the beginning of the year, Cosla’s resorting to delaying tactics. Employers must understand the growing anger among council workers who are being advised to manage their expectations around pay when MSPs are set to receive a 6.7% pay increase.”

Colsa said they are keen to explore all avenues in a bid to avoid strike action.

COSLA resources spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said: “For the last two Thursdays, we believed we had positive meetings with our SJC Trade Union colleagues to discuss this year’s pay offer for the Scottish Local Government Workforce.

“We had another useful meeting only yesterday, so it is disappointing that they have chosen to go public today, before all options have been explored.

“Learning from the last few years, we are keen to maintain a dialogue with our SJC Trade Unions partners, whilst we explore all avenues.

“We are close to making an offer, based on the mandate given to me by Council Leaders. Another meeting is being scheduled, as soon as possible and we are doing all that we can to get an offer on the table.

“It is important to reiterate that this is against the context of a flat cash settlement from Scottish Government, which leaves very little room to manoeuvre without service reductions and job losses which we want to avoid at all costs.”

Speaking to STV News on Friday, newly appointed First Minister John Swinney said the Scottish Government would “encourage” both parties to come to an agreement.

Mr Swinney said “it is for local authorities to take forward the negotiations with their employees”.

He added: “We shouldn’t always have to step. It doesn’t always have to be like that.

“We’ll let local authorities take forward negotiations with their staff, it’s right and proper that’s the case.

“As part of our discussions with local authorities and trade unions we’ll encourage everyone to come together into a point of agreement.”