Unions claim 6.5% rise for council workers ‘realistic’

Union leaders have insisted demands for a 6.5 per cent 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 per cent, depending on which is greater.

The unions submitted their pay claim for 2018/19 to local government body Cosla.

They have said a rise of that 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 per cent 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 per cent 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 per cent.

Any rise for those on salaries above this would be limited to £1,600.