Government told to pay up over public sector wage rise
●Greens put pressure on to find £250m in funding if Budget is to avoid collapse
The Scottish Government is under growing pressure to find an extra £250 million to help fund a pay hike for thousands of council workers or face the collapse of its budget.
A committee of MSPS today said finance secretary Derek Mackay had “created an expectation” that staff on councils would benefit from the lifting of the public sector pay cap – but a looming £157m cut to local authority budgets have prompted fears it will be unaffordable.
Meanwhile, Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie warned that he will demand both extra cash to reverse the cuts and more funds to let councils meet the pay rise for workers.
Staff in Scotland’s public sector earning less than £30,000 are to get a 3 per cent rise next year after Mr Mackay revealed in his draft budget last month that the 1 per cent cap imposed in recent years will be lifted. But that will not apply to council staff, who are paid directly by local authorities, which are facing cuts to their budgets.
A report by Holyrood’s local government committee today states: “The outcome of the Scottish Government’s public sector pay policy creates an expectation as to what local
Throwaway plastics would be banned in Scotland by 2030 under Scottish Government plans to tackle pollution.
It follows a European Commission announcement last week that all plastic packaging across Europe will be recyclable or reusable by the end of the next decade – a commitment which would not apply to the UK after Brexit.
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said she had asked civil servants to look at restricting the sale and manufacture of all non-recyclable plastics “on an item-byitem basis”.
She said: “The EU has been bold by making that statement and obviously they’ve yet to legislate for that, so there’s a process that they will go through which will involve member states. Sadly, of course, if Brexit goes through, it won’t involve the United Kingdom.
“I would very much want to support the EU’S position. We will, in Scotland, continue to match the best possible ambition that there is, and particularly match what Brussels is doing.”
Unveiled last week, the first Europe-wide strategy on plastics includes proposals to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics and restrict the intentional use of microplastics, such as tiny beads put into cosmetics. And it includes measures to boost recycling and cut marine plastics litter, including fishing gear.
Revealing the plans, the European Commission said it would help tackle plastic pollution, as well as create jobs, boost innovation and cut carbon emissions.
The move, welcomed by environmental campaigners, comes amid growing concern over plastic pollution in the world’s oceans, where it can harm and kill wildlife such as turtles and seabirds.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste within 25 years as part of the government’s environmental strategy, with calls for supermarkets to introduce “plastic-free” aisles.
The Scottish Government recently announced its intention to ban the sale of plasticstemmed cotton buds.