Cosla defends pay deal as 90,000 Scottish council workers face potential strike action

Council leaders have expressed optimism that union members will accept the latest pay offer, as it emerged that 90,000 council workers could face a ballot for strike action.

This comes after strike action for refuse workers in Edinburgh during the busy Festival Fringe period was cancelled last minute.

Cosla, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, which represents local councils across Scotland, emphasised that the pay deal would benefit most employees.

Unison, Scotland's largest union for local government workers, announced on Tuesday that it may extend its strike ballot to include all 90,000 council staff represented by the union.

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This comes after 86% of Unison members in waste management, recycling, street cleaning, and early years sectors rejected the recent pay offer from Cosla, although other unions like GMB and Unite have accepted it.

The proposed deal includes either a 67p hourly increase or a 3.6 per cent rise, whichever is higher, with an emphasis on supporting lower-paid workers. Cosla stated that if accepted, most employees would receive at least a 4.27 per cent pay increase. Additionally, 75 per cent of full-time staff would be guaranteed a £1,292 raise, equivalent to a 5.63 per cent increase in the Scottish Government’s Living Wage.

Katie Hagmann, Cosla’s resources spokesperson, chaired a Scottish Joint Council (SJC) steering group meeting earlier this week. She praised the "important and useful discussions" but urged Unison to reconsider its stance.

Hagmann stated: "Everyone noted that we must reach a swift agreement so we can ensure a speedy settlement. Union colleagues are still working to reach agreement in light of Unison's position that the offer needs to be improved.

"I took the opportunity to highlight the strength of our offer, which has been overwhelmingly accepted by Unite and GMB members.

"The offer would see more than half (55%) of workers getting an increase of at least 4.27 per cent with those at lower pay points receiving a gradually higher increase - up to 5.63 per cent at the first pay point on our scales - meaning waste, school support and social care staff get the rise they deserve to help tackle the effects of inflation.

"The offer is better than colleagues in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will get this year, and is higher than inflation."
She added: "At the request of all three unions, the offer is bottom-weighted to ensure there is a greater increase for those lowest paid - 75 per cent of our workforce would see an uplift of £1,292 (for full-time roles).

"That's a 5.63 per cent increase to the Scottish Local Government living wage which is the first point on our pay scales. No worker will receive less than a 3.6 per cent increase.

Hagmann emphasised the value of council employees and the essential services they provide to communities across Scotland, expressing hope that Unison members would reconsider and accept what she described as a "good offer."

Unison currently has strike mandates in 13 Scottish councils, along with one at Cireco, an arms-length waste management company. The union also holds five mandates for strike action in the education sector and rejected the pay offer due to what it calls a "25% real-terms pay cut over the last 14 years."

On Tuesday, Finance Secretary Shona Robison criticised Unison, warning that their stance could delay backdated pay awards for all council employees.

Unison Scotland's lead for local government, David O'Connor, said: "Councillor Hagman's statement is unacceptable. As she knows, Unison is by far the largest local government union and any pay offer must demonstrate that all staff are valued.

"She also knows that 14 years of Cosla pay offers have resulted in the value of local government pay falling by 25 per cent. She chose to ignore our warnings and proceeded with a pay offer that neither compensates staff for the years of pay erosion nor reflects the essential contributions of all dedicated council staff.

"That's why thousands of members have voted overwhelmingly to reject Cosla's pay offer and to take strike action. Her statement does a disservice to the hardworking people who keep our local government functioning."

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