Pay demand

North Lanarkshire Council has written to the Scottish Government to demand that the £500 payment for health and social care staff is extended to council employees.

The move followed a cross-party motion which was unanimously passed at the joint consultative committee for local government employees earlier this month.

It was agreed that the committee’s convener, Unison’s Marie Quigley, and vice convener Councillor Kenneth Duffy would ask the government to pledge its support for hard-working council staff to receive the payment.

Trade unions have claimed the bonus payment announced recently fails to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of public sector staff, many of whom went above and beyond the call of duty in serving the public during the pandemic.

Councillor Duffy said: “Our health and social care workers have done an outstanding job during the most unprecedented times in recent history and deserve to be recognised for their efforts.

“But other public sector workers, including council staff, have also shown great resolve, commitment and compassion in continuing to serve the public despite the pandemic changing our daily lives dramatically over the last few months.

“All we ask of the SNP Government is not to divide or prioritise one set of key workers over the other and to join all political parties in North Lanarkshire in backing the extension of this payment to local government staff.”