6.5% wage rise demand

UNION leaders have insisted demands for a 6.5 per cent pay rise for council workers are “realistic”.

Unison, Unite and the GMB want staff to have a salary increase of either £1500 or 6.5 per cent, depending on which is greater. They have submitted their pay claim for 2018/19 to Cosla.

It comes after Finance Secretary Derek Mackay fulfilled a pledge to lift the one per cent pay cap on public sector workers in his draft Budget.