Unions’ £3k pay demand for council staff

Union chiefs have warned COSLA to avoid the industrial action of yesteryear year and provide a pay offer local government workers can accept.

Unison has confirmed it will this week resume negotiations with COSLA - the body which represents the interests of all councils in Scotland and sets wages for staff in all local authority areas.

Unison – which has entered into negotiations alongside fellow public sector unions, the GMB and Unite –said it was keen to see a deal reached at the earliest opportunity.

Collectively, the three unions are calling for a flat rate pay increase of £3,000 to all pay grades, or an uplift of 10 percent, whichever is greater.

They are also seeking a review of gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps in local government.

Unions are also seeking a two-hour reduction in the working week with no detriment and an additional day of annual leave for personal or well-being purposes.

The final demand is the repeated request that COSLA commits to a phased approach to reaching a minimum pay rate of £15 an hour in a maximum ofn two year - sooner if possible.

Colette Hunter, chair of Unison’s local government committee, said:“The pay talks with COSLA opened today. But while there were constructive discussions, the offer on the table wasn’t enough and the two sides are a long way apart.

“Talks will happen again this week. Unison submitted its pay claim at the beginning of the year, and no one wants a repeat of last year’s strikes.”

Waste workers and school support staff including classroom assistants, administrators, janitors and caterers all walked out of Renfrewshire schools on several occasions last year as they fought to secure an increased pay offer in a dispute which took several months to resolve.

Unison local government lead David O’Connor said:“Everyone knows that COSLA is operating in a challenging financial context. But it’s disappointing that it won’t join with unions in calling on the Scottish Government to provide additional funding.

“The union is doing everything it can to find a resolution.”