Pay commitments could see end to dispute which saw PKC schools disruption

An end to the pay dispute, which saw a two-week strike by Perth and Kinross non-teaching staff, closing schools, could be in sight.

Union UNISON said today that commitments received from the Scottish Government and COSLA “could bring an end to the current pay dispute.”

A pledge, it said, has been made to discuss local government finance, a new pay protocol, a minimum hourly rate of £15, and reducing the working week.

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The union’s local government committee will now consult council UNISON staff members to recommend they agree to conclude this year’s pay negotiations and move to substantial talks for next year.

Hundreds of education workers had taken part in the Perth and Kinross targeted walkout with many of the region’s schools closed entirely to pupils for two weeks.

UNISON had said a pay offer - accepted by Unite and the GMB – was not in line with other public service workers.

During the two-week strike, targeting the First Minister’s constituency, workers staged a protest outside his Blairgowrie office.

Mr Swinney had described the PKC targeted industrial action as “unacceptable” emphasising that he took the situation “deadly seriously.”

But he said today (Friday): “I am pleased that UNISON is recommending to its members that this pay dispute should end.

“I hope their members agree so that there will be no more disruption to education in Perth and Kinross.”

“I am wholly committed to tackling low pay and will work constructively to make progress on this issue in next year’s pay negotiations.”

In a letter last month he urged UNISON to join with the GMB and Unite to accept the current pay offer, adding that the Scottish Government had already taken “extraordinary decisions” to allocate an extra £77.5 million to support local government pay – which he said was the “absolute limit”.

UNISON said today the commitments from the Scottish Government and COSLA “will materially improve the landscape of local government pay negotiations and could bring an end to the current pay dispute.”

Its local government committee will now consult UNISON council staff and recommend they agree to conclude this year’s pay negotiations and move to substantial talks for next year.

UNISON Scotland’s local government committee chairperson Colette Hunter said: “Perth and Kinross members working in education establishments and all our members who rejected the earlier offer have secured these fresh commitments from the Scottish government and councils.

“Our members’ resolve and action has secured a route to a credible offer on pay before April 2025.

“We have also got the Scottish government to come in the room with us and Colsa to seriously discuss £15 per hour, a reduction in the working week and the whole situation with council finances.

“Our members have shown they will take a stand on pay. We are asking them to agree to conclude this year’s pay negotiations and take the campaign for decent pay forward via the commitments we have got for 2025 and beyond.”