Unite cleansing workers have officially accepted a pay offer to halt bin strikes, despite the deal being rejected by other union members across Scotland.
Unite the Union said on Thursday bin workers will receive a minimum increase of nearly £1,300 for the lowest paid staff from the revised COSLA offer.
A 71% vote in favour of accepting the offer from Unite’s members has been confirmed with the threat of summer strikes suspended when talks were conducted last month.
However, members of Scotland’s biggest local government union Unison rejected the offer on Tuesday, which includes an hourly uplift of £0.67 or a 3.6% increase, whichever is higher.
Unison has mandates for strike action by waste and recycling workers at 13 councils, and for education and early years staff at five councils.
Yet Unite say members of its union overwhelming accepted the deal which will bring “better jobs, pay and conditions for workers”.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Unite’s members have overwhelmingly voted to accept COSLA’s revised pay offer.
“A minimum increase of nearly £1,300 for the lowest paid will be a welcome boost to the pay packets of our members who provide vital frontline local services.
“Make no mistake that it was down to our members’ guts and determination that an improved pay offer was finally put on the table which will now help to deliver better jobs, pay and conditions for workers across all Scottish councils.”
The Scottish local government living wage will also increase by 5.63%, Unite said.
Graham McNab, Unite’s lead negotiator for local government, said: “Unite’s council representatives once again took the lead in securing a credible pay offer which has been backed by the wider membership. The deal will lift the pay of all council employees above inflation for the first time in years.
“Time and again we end up in a summer farce over council pay. Unite wants to be perfectly clear that we want council pay resolved at a far earlier stage in the process.
“It should not take until the cusp of strike action for COSLA and the Scottish Government to come up with a fair pay offer.”
However the threat of bin strikes still looms for 13 council areas across Scotland, after Unison rejected the deal earlier this week.
Unison Scotland local government committee chair Colette Hunter said: “COSLA and the Scottish Government need to understand the anger among council staff.
“They want a fair increase to stop their pay consistently falling behind, and for their wage increase to be in line with other areas of the economy.”
Last week, the GMB union said the COSLA offer represented a “significant improvement” while Unite described it as “credible” before its members voted to accept.
The Scottish Government said it provided £77.5m to fund an improved pay offer.
Finance and local government secretary Shona Robison previously said: “We value this vital workforce and I welcome the fact that members will now be able to consider this strong pay offer which was reached following a strategic intervention from the Scottish Government.
“It has paused the prospect of costly industrial action this week which would have impacted businesses and communities across Scotland.
“Our swift action to ensure this strong offer could be made has been taken against an extremely challenging financial landscape and – while fair – represents the absolute limit of affordability.
“In order to fund the offer, we will have to move money from elsewhere in the budget and reduce funding for other programmes. We are taking on significant, additional financial pressure and have been clear painful choices have had to be made to fund this pay deal.
“The offer will provide an above inflation pay increase for all and support the lowest paid. I am pleased it is now with the workforce for their close consideration and would urge members to strongly consider this significantly improved envelope.”
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