Pay deal ‘not good enough’
Council workers’dispute
Council workers have been urged by trade union chiefs to reject an “unfair and unacceptable” pay offer.
GMB says staff should knock back a deal which could see wages for the lowest earners boosted by three per cent.
I t revealed local authority bosses could pocket an extra £1,600 and says there is a gulf between the increases.
Drew Duffy, senior o r ga n i s e r at GMB Scotland, warns there could be industrial action if more cash is not found for those on the bottom rung.
He said: “After a decade of cuts to local government pay, conditions and services, a three per cent increase might seem like a reasonable offer on the face of it.
“But the devil is in the detail – this is not an offer that tackles austerity.
“In fact, if left unchallenged, this offer would increase the pay gap between the lowest and highest earners in local government and that’s just not credible if you are serious about doing more for the lowest paid.”
GMB has launched a full consultative ballot for action among its 30,000 members working in local government across the country.
The raise was tabled by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( COSLA), the umbrella organisation managing the interests of councils across Scotland.
Those earning between £36,501 and £80,000 could be given a two per cent boost.
Workers with the highest income – taking home more than the top figure – would get a £1,600 flat rate increase under the terms.
But the lowest earners could receive between just £250 and £600.
GMB frontline staff, including home carers, bin men and school cleaners, would coin in only a fraction of those already on the highest salaries.
Trade union leaders will meet with Holyrood Finance Secretary Derek Mackay, MSP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, on Thursday.
They will demand improved terms at the crunch talks.
Mr Duffy added: “Do COSLA bosses and Derek Mackay really think a council chief executive deserves a pay rise worth £ 1,000 more than your average full- time home carer?
“GMB doesn’t and we don’t think our members will either.
“We are challenging the Scottish Government and COSLA to do more for the lowest paid because this offer is unfair and unacceptable, which is why we will be strongly urging our members to reject it.”
The GMB ballot runs until June 15 and could result in strikes across the summer.
No- one from COSLA was available for comment on the situation.