Dumfries and Galloway council staff vote to reject pay offer

Dumfries and Galloway’s local government workers have joined with others Unison members across Scotland in voting “overwhelmingly” to reject a pay offer.

The union said that thousands of council and school workers indicated they were “unhappy” with the pay proposal put forward by local government employers Cosla.

The workers were given a two-stage offer which would operate over an 18-month period, giving a 2.2 per cent increase for the first six months and an additional 2 per for the remaining 12 months of the deal, ending in September next year.

However, 91 per cent of those balloted in Scotland chose to reject, demanding more.

Unison will now begin the process of formally balloting groups of workers about selective strike action over the coming weeks.

Unison Scotland local government committee chairperson, Colette Hunter said: “This result must be a wake-up call for Cosla that council workers need to be rewarded fairly for the essential services they provide.

“Staff have experienced years of cuts to their pay levels and a reversal has to begin.

“The last thing anyone wants to do is go on strike, but local government workers deserve a fair increase to stop their pay lagging further behind inflation, and the wage increases being given in other sectors of the economy.”

She added: “Workers have seen the value of their pay fall over the past 10 years, often while being asked to do even more.

“They provide vital services to their communities by caring for the most vulnerable, educating children, waste and recycling and keeping people safe.

“Council workers deserve better.”