Demand for better pay offer to avoid strike action

TRADE unions representing local government workers have sent out a joint letter demanding an improved pay offer to avert strike action.

Unison, Unite and the GMB have written to every Scottish council leader urging them to up their offer of a 3 pe rcent increase for staff or risk “widespread industrial action across the workforce”.

Members, who rejected the recent the pay offer, will demonstrate outside today’s meeting of Cosla leaders in Edinburgh and say there will be strikes in the new year if the offer is not improved.

The unions say despite assurances from Cosla about parity and fairness across all local government workers, the Scottish Government found an extra £38 million for teachers – meaning some teachers could get up to 10 per centpay rises.

The letter to the 32 council leaders sets out the unions’ key concerns and states: “There is now a very real possibility of widespread industrial action across the local government workforce unless you take measures to improve the current offer.”

Unison’s head of local government bargaining Johanna Baxter said: “Cosla leaders have the power to prevent mass industrial action across the local government workforce by listening to, and addressing, the genuine concerns of our members.

“We would urge them to do so and to improve the current pay offer.”

A Cosla spokesman said: “This will be an item on our leaders’ agenda tomorrow.”