Council workers turn to foodbanks
Union claims years of pay freezes have left workers relying on other means to survive
Council workers in Rutherglen and Cambuslang are having to rely on foodbanks according to the region’s largest union.
Unison told South Lanarkshire Councillors this week that years of pay freezes and below inflation increases had left workers relying on other means to survive.
The union have this week written to all councillors, including the 12 from Rutherglen and Cambuslang, to support their campaign for an improved wage rise.
The Reformer reported last week that 5500 members of Unison will vote on the possibility of strike action after a nationwide pay deal of a one per cent rise was implemented.
Members will be balloted from next Tuesday (September 9) until September 29.
Unison say council workers have effectively seen their pay cut by 16 per cent in real terms.
The letter states: “Over the past few years we have seen the value of our wages decrease by approximately 16 per cent. We have had pay freezes, and pay rises imposed on us that were and are well below the inflation rate. Increasingly many of our colleagues are relying on welfare benefits to keep their families. Some have had to resort to using food banks on occasion. Our own UNISON charity, There For You, has seen a marked increase in the number of applications from members in financial crisis. As our wages have been frozen or held back our fuel, transport and food costs have all soared.
“Few people have ever been attracted to work for the Council for high wages. We believe that we deliver essential services to the community that most of us live in. We are loyal to our service, our Council and our community. We have praised the Council in recent years for seeking to protect the lowest paid from the harshest impact of the pay freezes by introducing the Living Wage. However, despite this, we are now becoming a low wage Council workforce.
“We understand that the Council has suffered cuts in funding and that the Council tax freeze has starved all councils of much needed additional revenue. This has led to cuts in jobs in this council and an increased workload on the remaining staff. We have taken the main burden of the cuts through this increase in workloads and the stress that comes with it. In addition we have been forced to accept reduced living standards over many years.
“This is no longer tolerable for us as council workers and should not be acceptable to you as a Councillor.”
Unison say in the letter they want a £1 an hour increase for staff and describe the one per cent pay rise as “not good enough.”
They also say the increase was imposed without negotiation.
Branch chairperson, Margaret Gallacher, said this week: “We hope Councillors will consider their responsibility for ensuring that the staff who deliver the services to the local communities are properly rewarded.
“Our members in care homes and libraries, schools and advice services have seen the value of their wages drop by around 16 per cent in recent years.
“We would hope that they will feel able to support our campaign to address this trend which has resulted in real hardship for many staff members and their families.”
Last week, Paul Manning, Executive Director for Finance and Corporate Resources at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “This is a national issue, not a local issue.
“Last October all Scottish councils agreed to give their employees a pay rise and South Lanarkshire, in line with the other authorities, put this into practice. Following this, UNISON called a national ballot on strike action.
“It is worth noting that UNISON is also on record praising South Lanarkshire Council’s pioneering work to deliver the highest Living Wage outside of London for its employees.”