Unions call for pay deal to tackle inflation

Three trade unions have called for a pay deal for local government staff that helps tackle the rising cost of energy prices and inflation.

Unite, Unison and the GMB have submitted a joint pay claim to local authority body Cosla that, among other requests, pushes for a £3,000 pay rise across all salary points and a minimum wage of at least £12 per hour.

The proposals also called for a nodetriment shift to a 35hour work week, agreed guidance on home or hybrid working and the uprating of all allowances in line with inflation figures from October.

The groups went on to urge the Scottish Government to provide “fair funding for local government to protect jobs and services”.

Wendy Dunsmore, the regional officer in Scotland for Unite, said: “Inflation is at a 10-year high and the cost of living is surging.

“Unless Cosla and the Scottish Government are prepared to meet our wage claim, the stark reality for more than 200,000 local government workers is a significant real terms pay cut.

“Let’s remember that the majority of these workers are low paid, and female.

“The central issue is about how we value local government and those who work within it.”

Johanna Baxter, Unison Scotland’s head of local government, urged Cosla and the Scottish Government to ensure there is no risk of industrial action in this year’s pay round.

“Industrial action was only narrowly averted in the last pay round,” she said.

“This year’s negotiations need to progress at pace to ensure we don’t end up in the same position again this year.”