‘Slap in the face’ for council staff
North Lanarkshire Council and UNISON have accused the Scottish Government of short-changing council staff – after they refused to extend the £500 “thank you” payment to all NLC workers.
The convener and viceconvener of the committee for local government employees, the JCC, wrote last month to ask that the SNP Government show their thanks for council staff who have worked throughout the pandemic to support thousands of residents.
The move received unanimous support from all parties in North Lanarkshire.
The Cabinet Secretary for Local Government, Aileen Campbell MSP, has now responded saying Holyrood will not extend the payment – leaving council workers with no reward for their efforts.
JCC vice-convener
Kenneth Duffy said: “This news is a slap in the face for our outstanding council staff.
“We agreed unanimously at committee that our staff deserved recognition for their efforts during the most difficult time in recent memory.
“That the SNP Government would deny them this reward – against even the wishes of their own group in North Lanarkshire – is simply disgraceful.
“With £57 million of cuts to the council’s budget over the next three years already announced by the SNP, this refusal to recognise our staff is the final nail in the coffin for their claim that they treat local government fairly.”
Marie Quigley, convenor of the JCC and UNISON North Lanarkshire Branch Secretary, added: “Local government workers have been on the frontline of the Covid response from day one and have provided vital lifelines for our communities.
“They have suffered 10 years of austerity job cuts and austerity pay, and have not even had as much as a thanks from the cabinet secretary for local government.
“Our motion was unanimously supported by all parties in North Lanarkshire. This illustrates the strength of feeling across the political divide that the local government workforce deserves to be recognised for its outstanding commitment during this crisis.”
Local Government
Secretary Aileen Campbell insisted it was for councils to decide whether or not to pay their staff the £500 payment.
In her letter replying to Councillor Duffy, Ms Campbell said: “I, along with all Scottish Ministers, am hugely grateful for the heroic efforts of all key workers across Scotland, including local government, who have risen to the challenge of responding to the pandemic and kept our essential services available.
“As you know, councils are independent bodies, accountable to their electorates, and it is for councils, not Scottish Ministers, to decide if the wider local government workforce should receive a Covid recognition payment.
“Pay for council workers is decided by councils through trade unions negotiating with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
“The Scottish Government has no part in those pay negotiations.”