Council workers are deserving of ‘realistic’ 6.5% rise, say unions

Increase is needed to make up for real-term losses, say leaders

Union leaders have insisted demands for a 6.5% pay rise for council workers are “realistic”.

Unison, Unite and the GMB want staff to have a salary increase of either £1,500 or 6.5%, depending on which is greater.

The unions submitted their pay claim for 2018/19 to local government body Cosla, saying a rise of this level was needed for workers’ pay to increase in line with inflation and to start to address the real-terms loss of earnings staff suffered when public sector pay was capped.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay fulfilled a pledge to lift the 1% pay cap in his draft budget, but it will be councils who have to find the cash to fund an increase in staff wages.

The Scottish Government’s public sector pay policy for 2018/19 includes a guaranteed minimum increase of 3% for all public sector workers earning £30,000 a year or less.

Those earning between £30,000 and £80,000 should receive up to 2%, while any rise for those on salaries above this should be limited to £1,600, it states.

Johanna Baxter, head of local government bargaining for Unison Scotland, said: “Our members, working hard to deliver a good public service in local authorities across the country, should be covered by this commitment.

“This claim is therefore both realistic and in line with the Government’s stated objective of lifting the pay cap for public sector workers.

“Our local government worker members have suffered a real-terms loss in pay over the past 10 years of some 15%.

“It is only right, therefore, that this year’s pay settlement must protect workers from the sharp rise in inflation, and start to reverse the many years of real-terms cuts to wages.”

She added: “Austerity has meant £1.4 billion of efficiency savings in Scottish local government since 2012 and 30,000 people have lost their jobs over the last five years.

“The key to the future of local government lies with the dedicated staff, who provide the services to our communities.

“This must be recognised and staff properly rewarded through this pay round and in the future in redressing the balance of earnings against the cost of living.”

Cosla resources spokeswoman Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “We will take the claim away and consider it carefully, taking full cognisance that, as employers, our pay awards have to be both sustainable and affordable.”

Our local government worker members have suffered a real-terms loss in pay over the past 10 years of some 15%. JOHANNA BAXTER, UNISON SCOTLAND