Strikes averted as low turnout hits union vote

Call for new talks over council services pay dispute

A WAVE of industrial action threatening to bring public services across Scotland to a standstill has been averted after less than one in six members of a major union backed the calls to strike.

The first large-scale test of the impact of the new Trade Union Act saw Unison’s ballot of its 67,000 members employed across Scotland’s councils fail to to come anywhere near the 50 per cent turnout threshold needed to make the strike over a continuing pay dispute legal.

The walkouts would have brought many services across the country’s 32 local authorities to a halt as Unison Scotland is the biggest public sector union with membership across all aspects of local government.

Walk-outs would have hit nurseries, bin collections, social work services and care homes, as well as virtually all other areas run by councils.

Both Unite and the GMB had in April voted overwhelmingly in favour of a deal from local government body Cosla, which offers a one per cent increase for those earning above £35,000 and a flat rate payment of £350 for employees earning below that threshold.

In total, 9,500, less than 15 per cent, Unison members voted to strike with just over a fifth of its local government membership taking part in the ballot.

The union said the vast majority of those who took part in the ballot were in favour of strike action but had been prevented from doing so due to the legislation introduced by the UK Government last year.

But it admitted turnout was particularly poor and need to do more to encourage its members to participate more in ballots.

Local government umbrella body, Cosla, which represents the employers in wage negotiations, said it “welcomed the news that Unison members have failed to support calls from their trade union to engage in damaging strike action over pay”.

A spokesman said the body was “encouraged that good sense has prevailed and that the majority of Unison members decided not to back the call for strike action”.

He added: “The pay deal we have offered our workforce is the best deal in local government anywhere in the UK and focusses more money towards those in lower pay brackets.

“We now invite Unison to get back round the table with Cosla employers and get this deal implemented.”

Unison had campaigned for a flat-rate payment of £1000 for all employees, the continued uprating of the Scottish Local Government Living Wage, and a future pay strategy to “identify and redress the imbalance caused by previous pay awards below the rate of inflation”.

Almost 80 per cent of the union’s members had rejected the pay offer.

Douglas Black, Unison’s chief negotiator, said: “Lets be clear: the ballot did deliver a vote in favour of strike action. The issue that has prevented it going forward is the Trade Union Act 2016.

“That has been the barrier to us considering if we are able to move to the next step of industrial action. Where we are just now is we want to go back and engage with the employers and bring the pay 2017 issue to a conclusion, hopefully as quickly as possible.”

He added: “We would have hoped that turnout would have been better than it actually was. It was comparable with other elections and ballots and I think we have got to work to try and make sure that in future participation rates are higher.”

The pay deal is the best deal in local government anywhere in the UK

COUNTRY, folk and blues singer Terry Neason is to give fans a chance to see her new band at a gig that forms part of the annual West End Festival in Glasgow tonight.

The Terry Neason Band will be performing at the Cottier Theatre, Hyndland, which is among more that 400 events across 75 venues until June 25.

The Glasgow-born singer, left, pictured with festival chairwoman Liz Scobie, said “I’m delighted to be part of the West End Festival again and to play in Cottiers is always a joy.”

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