‘The blame lies squarely with Cosla and the FM’
members in every local authority area voted to reject the 2 per cent pay offer by council umbrella group Cosla, with nine areas exceeding the 50 per cent turnout required for industrial action.
Miles Briggs, local government spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said: ‘The prospect of school closures at the start of the new term is particularly concerning given the huge disruption the pandemic has already caused to our children’s education. All parties must get round the negotiating table to thrash out a deal – especially the SNP Government.
‘It’s shameful of them to try to pass the buck to Cosla and the unions to resolve this dispute. The SNP’s systematic underfunding of local authorities year after year has left councils unable to fund wage increases.’
Unite branded Cosla’s 2 per cent offer ‘derisory’ and urged it to demand more money from ministers to fund a 5 per cent pay rise. Cosla is also demanding more cash to allow an improved offer.
Industrial action by drivers at nationalised ScotRail only ended when they were offered a bumper deal which included a 5 per cent pay rise and other benefits. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Thousands upon thousands of members won’t tolerate realterms pay cuts any more, and they’ve had enough. Our members are being forced to take action due to a derisory pay offer.’
The 15 councils where Unite members have backed industrial action in schools include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, North and South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire.
The 22 authorities facing industrial action in waste services include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Fife, Falkirk and Highland.
Wendy Dunsmore, Unite industrial officer, said: ‘We will now plan for targeted strike action in 26 councils across Scotland – and the blame for this lies squarely with Cosla and the First Minister.’
Teachers, police officers and firemen are among other public sector workers threatening action over pay. Train services were also severely disrupted yesterday following a walkout by members of the RMT union at Network Rail.
On BBC Good Morning Scotland yesterday, Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth urged UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to intervene to find a resolution in the Network Rail dispute.
But when asked if the Scottish Government would intervene in the council pay dispute, she said: ‘Pay settlements for council workers, and that excludes teachers, are really a matter for Cosla and are determined through negotiations at the Scottish joint committee.
‘As it’s not a member of the SJC, the Scottish Government can’t directly intervene.’
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘Jenny Gilruth had an absolute ’mare trying to explain why she expects the UK Government to intervene in rail strikes, while claiming [the SNP] has no responsibility for council workers heading for picket lines.’
Cosla said: ‘As employers we have a responsibility to ensure that any pay deal offered is both sustainable and affordable and that is why we are unable to go beyond the current offer at this point.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Although the Scottish Government has no formal role in the national local government pay negotiations, both the Government and Cosla are working to jointly explore all of the options available to find solutions.’
In the Cental Belt yesterday, only five routes operated during the 24-hour walkout by Network Rail workers. Nearly 300 cancellations are expected this morning before services return to normal.
‘Shameful to try to pass the buck’
A WAVe of strikes threatens a summer of discontent – but once again, ministers are standing on the sidelines.
Consider the scale of the looming chaos, from school closures to rubbish piling up in the streets.
Scotland’s children have suffered enough during the lockdown years and cannot be subjected to more disruption.
In the midst of the tourism season, festering rubbish would be an unconscionable dereliction of duty by refuse workers.
As the Scottish Conservatives point out, it is shameful of ministers to attempt to ‘pass the buck’ to the Cosla town hall umbrella body.
And they highlight the SnP’s ‘systematic underfunding of local authorities year after year – including an estimated £251million real-terms cut in the latest settlement’.
There is a high level of waste in local authorities run by fat-cat chief executives, at a time when council tax has risen.
But the SnP cannot absolve itself of responsibility for the repercussions of the budget cuts it has imposed.
Ministers have buried their heads in the sand – or shown their contempt for voters by backing union barons.
earlier this week, the Scottish Government sided with rail union bosses rather than long-suffering passengers.
Unions need to recognise that not all pay demands can be met in full.
But SnP ministers cannot hide forever from the profound consequences of their chronic neglect and mismanagement of public services.