Council workers to be balloted on nine per cent pay rise over the next three years

Public sector workers union UNISON is to ballot its members on a new pay offer.

If agreed, it will see council workers receive a wage hike of more than nine per cent over the next three years.

Scottish councils umbrella body CoSLA last week tabled the new offer following months of campaigning by UNISON and other public sector trade unions GMB and UNITE.

According to UNISON, which has 1400 members at Stirling Council, the new offer would deliver 9.5 per cent cost of living increase over three years.

Council workers would be in line for rises of 3.5 per cent in 2018-19, three per cent in each of the next two financial years.

In addition, it provides a commitment to fully consolidating the Living Wage and putting more money in the pockets of lower paid council workers.

A three per cent pay increase for all workers earning up to £80,000 was rejected after it was proposed by CoSLA in September.

UNISON has welcomed the move and it’s local government committee has agreed to ballot members in the new year, urging them to accept the offer.

Johanna Baxter, head of local government (bargaining) for UNISON, said: “This revised and improved offer would never have been achieved without the resolve, campaigning activity and political lobbying efforts of UNISON members up and down the country.

“Whilst the offer does not make up for the many years of austerity, the provision of cost of living increases which meet current and projected levels of RPI (inflation) is welcome as are the commitments to fully consolidate the Living Wage and maintain parity across the local government workforce.”

Mark Ferguson, chair of UNISON’s local government committee added: “This offer does not meet all of our expectations but it is move in the right direction. Many of our low paid members have patiently waited on their employer to consolidate the Living Wage and employers past failure to deliver on that has resulted in eradication of pay differentials on the pay model for those doing the most demanding jobs.”