LOCAL GOVERNMENT WARNS OF JOB LOSSES AND SERVICE CUTS
COSLA has launched its campaign in advance of the Scottish Budget on 15 December – an ‘SOS call’ to Save our Services.
It is a rallying call, telling communities everything they need to know about the impact of the Scottish Government’s forthcoming budget on our council services, and our communities in the coming year.
COSLA says the SOS call reflects the extremely precarious financial situation in which Councils in Scotland find themselves, during a particularly challenging period. This is as a consequence of real-term cuts to the core budgets of Scotland’s 32 Councils over recent years.
The call comes ahead of the Deputy First Minister outlining the Scottish Budget on December 15th but reflects the reality of what the government set out in its spending plans last May.
Speaking yesterday, COSLA’s President Councillor Shona Morrison said: “There are many areas in which Local and Scottish Government work together for our communities and I fully appreciate that money is extremely tight – all Governments are having to cope with rising inflation and fuel costs.
“However, with little room left to manoeuver, the Scottish Government’s spending plans as they stand will see Council services either significantly reduced, cut or stopped altogether.
“70% of Local Government’s budget is spent on staffing, so it is inevitable that current spending plans will lead to job losses. The very serious impact of this scenario is that the critical work council staff do on prevention and early intervention will reduce significantly.”
COSLA’s Vice President Councillor Steven Heddle said: “In May, the ‘flat cash’ plans looked difficult for us. Today, with prices increasing across the board, including energy costs, and inflation sitting at almost 10% and at risk of rising still further, Local Government is now on extremely dangerous ground.
“Make no mistake, what we will now face is Councils struggling to deliver even the basic, essential services that communities rely on. To put this into perspective, the estimated £1bn gap for councils in 23/24 is the equivalent of the entire budget for early learning and childcare across Scotland or 17,500 teachers.
“A funding gap of this magnitude will have an impact on all our communities, with the most vulnerable who rely on these services suffering the worst consequences.”
COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann concluded: “We are at a crisis point like never before – the impact for communities is serious and needs to be reconsidered.
“The financial impacts for other parts of the public sector are also serious. When councils can’t focus spend on prevention, for example on preventing ill-health, services like the NHS will end up spending significantly more money when issues become more serious.
“Directors of Finance across Scotland’s Councils are sufficiently concerned about the financial sustainability of councils that they have written to the Deputy First Minister outlining their concerns.
“This really is an SOS call from Scotland’s Councils –people in communities across Scotland will be pulled into further poverty and uncertainty without adequate funding for the vital services that support them.”
The EIS condemned the Scottish Government and COSLA for presenting a revised pay offer to teachers that offers no tangible improvement on their previously rejected offers.
Following three months of delay, and the promise of an improved offer to teachers, the offer that was presented today provides no additional money and is, for many teachers, a worse offer than those previously rejected by teacher unions.
A special meeting of the EIS Salaries Committee, held online yesterday afternoon, has unanimously rejected the offer. As a result of this immediate rejection of the offer, strike action scheduled to begin on Thursday will go ahead.
EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “This offer is nothing less than an abject insult to Scotland’s hard-working teaching professionals. Teachers overwhelmingly rejected a 5% offer more than 3 months ago and now, after months of prevarication and weeks of empty promises, COSLA and the Scottish Government come back with an offer than is worth that same 5% to the vast majority of teachers.
“This is not, as the Scottish Government claims, a progressive offer – it is a divisive offer, made on a differentiated basis, which is actually worse for many teachers in promoted posts.”
Ms Bradley added, “Contrary to the claims made by the Cabinet Secretary in Parliament and in Scottish Government spin today, this is not an improved, realistic, progressive or generous offer. Our members will see this offer for exactly what it is – a kick in the teeth from their employers and the Scottish Government.
“This afternoon’s Salaries Committee expressed outrage at this offer, and that outrage is sure to be replicated in staffrooms across Scotland today and tomorrow. Our programme of strike action, which will commence as scheduled on Thursday, will clearly show the strength of feeling of Scotland’s teachers who will be out in numbers and with strong voice on picket lines and at regional rallies.”
Ms Bradley also corrected a false statement made by Cabinet Secretary Shirley Anne Somerville in the Scottish Parliament today, who repeatedly claimed that four offers had been made to teachers prior to today: “We have received, and rejected, three previous offers from COSLA and the Scottish Government before today: for 2%; 3.5% and 5%.
“Today’s offer, which is the fourth, is really no new offer at all, but a reheating of the previously rejected offer. Today’s offer includes no additional money, and is a sign of the contempt with which COSLA and the Scottish Government clearly view Scotland’s teaching professionals.”
Scottish Government: New ‘progressive’ pay offer made to teachers
A new progressive pay offer – the fourth which has been made to unions – recognises the impact of the cost of living crisis on lower-paid teachers, with an increase of up to 6.85%.
For those classroom teachers on the main grade scale, who benefit from pay progression, this offer will mean an increase in one year of over 10%.
Those at the top of the scale will receive a 5% increase, taking their salary to £44,453. A teacher moving from probation into a fully qualified post would gain an annual salary increase of 27%.
A fully qualified teacher in Scotland would receive £35,650 – over £7,500 more than their counterparts in England under the offer. The most experienced classroom teachers would receive £5,600 more than they would if they were teaching in England on the main pay range.
Overall, if accepted, this would represent a cumulative pay increase for the majority of teachers of 21.8% since 2018.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “This is a fair offer which recognises that the cost of living crisis is the priority, with higher increases for staff on lower salaries.
“This is now the fourth offer that has been made. In the same time EIS have not changed their request for a 10% pay increase – even for those on the highest incomes.
“I have been clear that we have limited room for manoeuvre. The financial situation for the Scottish Government is challenging and additional money for teacher pay means reduced public services elsewhere.
“In these challenging times it is important we focus our attention on those who are most impacted by the cost of living crisis, as well as ensuring fairness to all public sector workers. I would urge leadership to postpone plans for industrial action and consider this new offer.”
Commenting following the revised offer to the Teaching Trade Unions Councillor Katie Hagmann, COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson said: “Scottish Local Government values its entire workforce, of which teachers are a key part.
“We have this afternoon made a revised fourth offer to our trade union colleagues. It is fair, affordable and recognises that the cost-of-living crisis is the priority, with higher increases for staff on lower pay points. This is in line with the offers made to all other parts of the public sector.
“We have worked extremely hard and closely with Scottish Government to ensure such a revised offer could be brought forward and made today. I would call on our Trade Union colleagues to recognise that these are extremely challenging financial times we are operating in and we all need to make decisions with a full understanding of the consequences.
“Our offer ensures that we don’t place additional pressure on any other parts of our hardworking workforce and the essential services they deliver, and importantly it protects the best interests of children and young people. We hope our Trade Union partners will now postpone Thursday’s strikes.”
Following a meeting of Council Leaders yesterday, Councillor Katie Hagmann, COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson, said: “I am pleased to get this year’s pay deal for the Local Government Workforce concluded and over the line. This now enables us to get money into the pockets of the workforce as quickly as we possibly can.
“This is a deal that clearly shows Scotland’s Council Leaders have listened to the very real concerns of our workforce and have responded positively.
“Council Leaders have said consistently throughout these negotiations that we value the work of our Local Government Workforce and are grateful for the difference they make within communities across Scotland.
“We also believe that it is a good deal which is about more than just pay. It is a package that includes an extra day’s holiday for SJC [Scottish Joint Council] staff on a recurring basis and payment of SSSC [Scottish Social Services Council] fees from this year onwards.”
UNISON, and sister trade unions Unite and GMB, are threatening pull out local government school staff and refuse workers on strike again.
Strike action was suspended after UNISON members voted for an offer which was made to them by COSLA on 2nd September 2022.
Trade union strikes remain suspended but mandates remain live meaning UNISON can legally call their local government members back out on strike, again.
COSLA now claim that the elements of the original deal – an extra days leave and the payment of SSSC registration fees for those working in social work, social care and early years – were only for one year not in perpetuity.
UNISON have now written to COSLA to say: “It is frankly outrageous that the draft pay circular sent to us on 7th October sought to time limit elements of the offer that had no time limitation on them in the original offer letter or in the discussions we had prior to it.
“That this remains unresolved should be a source of deep embarrassment. As has previously been advised our strike mandates remain live and we are all under increasing pressure from members, who are rapidly losing faith in their employer, to lift the strike suspensions if a resolution is not achieved quickly.”
Council staff are still waiting for their increased pay uplifts to be included in their pay packets.
Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland head of local government said:“This is appalling behaviour – either the employer did not even understand the offer they themselves were making – or they did and are now trying to renegue on it before its even been implemented. Either way it will be our members that suffer if they are allowed to get away with it.
“We have made clear to the employer and the Scottish Government that our strike mandates remain live and all three trade unions are under increasing pressure from members, who are rapidly losing faith in their employer, to lift the strike suspensions if a resolution and call members out if a resolution is not achieved quickly.
“Our members will rightly be questioning the value of COSLA if they cannot be trusted to draft an offer that they understand or uphold one that they do understand.
“It should be a source of deep embarrassment to COSLA that more than six months since the pay implementation date and in the middle of the worst cost of living crises our country has seen, waiting on their pay rise”
Suicide prevention will be ramped up as the Government and COSLA publish a 10-year strategy to tackle the factors and inequalities that can lead to suicide.
The strategy will draw on levers across national and local government to address the underlying social issues that can cause people to feel suicidal, while making sure the right support is there for people and their families.
This fresh approach will help people at the earliest possible opportunity and aim to reduce the number of suicides – ensuring efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, debt, and addiction include measures to address suicide.
The Scottish Government will fund the Scottish Recovery Network as part of the initial three-year action plan. This will boost community peer-support groups to allow people to discuss their feelings and drive down suicide.
The strategy is supported by record funding through the Programme for Government commitment to double the annual budget to £2.8 million by 2025-2026. It will build on the work of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group and continue delivering the existing ‘Every Life Matters’ action plan.
Launching the ‘Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2032’, Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Every death by suicide is a tragedy and, while the number of deaths have fallen in recent years, I want to use every lever at our disposal to drive that down further.
“That’s why we are taking a new approach to suicide prevention – considering all the social issues that can lead people to feel suicidal, while supporting those contemplating suicide and their loved ones.
“Peer support is an effective way to support people in their communities, helping them to feel heard and understood. I’m pleased this strategy will provide funding for the Scottish Recovery Network to continue its vital work for people experiencing – and recovering from – mental health issues.”
Councillor Kelly, the COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This approach to suicide prevention will build on the work taking place across local areas in Scotland.
“It will see the partnerships across communities strengthened and build on the collaboration between local and national work to ensure we share the knowledge and insights to help drive suicide prevention forward.
“This strategy will see work which reaches into new areas beyond the traditional settings of health and social care such as education, justice and physical activity, so we can truly see suicide prevention as Everyone’s Business.”
Young people invited to take part in National Discussion
Every child and young person in Scotland is being encouraged to get involved in a National Discussion on education.
Let’s Talk Scottish Education invites those aged three to 18 to share their ideas, views and experiences.
Feedback from young people, as well as from parents, carers, teachers and others working in education and beyond, will play a vital part in shaping the future of education. This will include the reform programme that will see the creation of three new education bodies and a review of qualifications and assessment.
The National Discussion, which is being co-convened by COSLA, will run until 5 December. It is being independently facilitated by Professor Carol Campbell and Professor Alma Harris, who will report their findings to Ministers and COSLA in spring 2023.
Schools are being invited to take part in the Discussion in ways that best suit them and their learners. This may be through classroom discussions, homework tasks or by encouraging children and young people to have discussions at home or with friends. Discussion guides have been issued to schools to help encourage involvement.
Children and young people can also contribute by emailing the Scottish Government or through social media, using the hashtag #TalkScottishEducation.
More information will be available over the coming weeks on other ways that young people can get involved in online and regional events.
Ahead of launching the Discussion during a visit to Carnegie Primary School in Dunfermline, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “It has been 20 years since Scotland last held a national debate on the future of education. Since then, the education landscape has changed beyond recognition, as has the world around us. It’s time for a new National Discussion.
“Our reform programme will build on all that is good in Scottish education and deliver real change and improvement. Our children and young people hold the biggest stake in the education system so it is right that their views should be at the centre of those plans.
“We are inviting every child and young person to get involved. We want to hear all voices, particularly those who feel they haven’t been heard in the past.
“Resources have been developed to help prompt discussions around the country; within organisations, around kitchen tables and in our schools and youth settings.
“The vision which is created following the National Discussion will set out what education in Scotland needs to look like not only in the near future but 20 years from now – so Let’s Talk Education.”
COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “I’m delighted that we are launching the National Discussion and pleased that COSLA will co-convene the discussion with the Scottish Government, reflecting the importance we place on learning in Scotland, and the joint responsibility we have when it comes to education.
“This is an exciting opportunity for children and young people, staff in our schools, families and wider communities to get involved and make their voices heard. I hope that everyone who has something to say on how we deliver education in Scotland takes the time to get involved in the months ahead.”
Patrick McGlinchey, Executive Director of national parents group Connect, said: “We welcome the launch of the National Discussion and look forward to supporting learners and their families to participate fully.
“Connect will work hard to ensure children, young people, and their families are heard loud and clear during the national discussion, and that the future of Scottish education is child-centred, with parents by their side.”
GMB Scotland, Unison and Unite trade unions have suspended next week’s strikes after receiving an improved pay offer from local government umbrella organisation Cosla.
The unions are recommending their members accept the new deal.
Responding to the revised offer for local government pay, and following a meeting of GMB Scotland’s local government committee,GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Keir Greenaway said:“GMB has been very clear that more must be done for the lowest paid in local government and this latest offer delivers a significant amount of consolidated money for these workers, including the frontline refuse and schools’ staff that everyone depends on.
“It’s not a perfect offer but it is the view of GMB Scotland’s local government committee that it’s worthy of members consultation and their acceptance, but ultimately our members whose campaigning and strike actions have improved these terms will have the final say.
“In the meantime, we have agreed to suspend all planned strike action so this consultation process can take place and our GMB organisers and workplace reps will be visiting as many workplaces as possible to engage our members on this.
“Most importantly, we want to pay tribute to our members. Strike action is not easy, it requires sacrifice and solidarity to deliver outcomes that make work better, and they have fought long and hard for an improved offer to help confront this cost-of-living crisis.”
After days of intense negotiations with the First Minster, the Deputy First Minister, Scottish Government and COSLA. UNISON has now secured an improved offer from COSLA that they will put to their members with a recommendation to accept.
The offer consists of: • An increase of £2000 for those earning up to £20,500 • An increase of £1925 for those earning between £20,500 to £39,000 • A 5% increase for those earning between £39,000 to £60,000 • A maximum increase of £3k for those earning above £60,000 • The removal of SSSC fees where application (social care registration fees) • 1 extra days annual leave • All increases based on a 36hr week calculator
Three UNISON sticking points were overcome late last night with the First Minister. The first is that the pay envelope has been increased to £600m, second that the pay increases will be fully consolidated from the date of implementation and the calculations will be based on 36-hour week (rather 37hr wk).
In March council workers were offered a paltry 2%. In July they were offered 3.5%. And now, through the strength of UNISON’s collective industrial muscle and members willingness to stand up to their employers we have now achieved a total increase to the pay bill of 7.5%, with 8 in 10 UNISON workers getting increases of between 5 – 10 %.
Johanna Baxter, UNISON head of local government said:“This offer is a victory for UNISON members. It has taken 8 months and the industrial might of UNISON members in schools and early years and waste and recycling workers to drag £600m out of Scottish government and COSLA and into the pockets hardworking people.
“COSLA originally offered 2%, then 3.5%, then 5% – we now we have £600m on the table, which is a 7.5% increase to the total pay bill and 87% of our council workers will receive fully consolidated increases between 5% to 10%.
“UNISON want to get this money into the pockets of council workers now while we continue the campaign to support people through the cost of living crisis,
“It is only through the collective action of our members in school and early years staff threatening strike action and our waste and recycling workers taking action that we have forced these extra funds out of government and the employer.
“Our member’s message was clear and unequivocal – UNISON’s local government members are no longer prepared to be treated as the poor relations of the public sector. They will stand up, speak up and organise to win change together. There is always more to do but this is a welcome step in the right direction.”
Mark Ferguson, chair of UNISON Scotland local government committee said:“Do not underestimate the scale of the achievement for UNISON members. We have won significant increases from where we started 8 month ago. We have had to drag the employer to the table to even talk to us.
“This will go someway to help them through the cost of living crisis but by no means is the fight over. UNISON will now continue its campaign to improve pay and conditions for all workers in local government.”
Unite the union can confirm that following talks involving the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, COSLA and the trade unions, a new ‘credible’ pay offer has been formally put on the table.
Unite can confirm that the substance of the new offer has led to a recommendation by its local government committee to accept.
Strikes scheduled to take place in waste and education services from 6 to 13 September are now suspended. Unite will hold a consultative ballot of its local government membership on the offer which it aims to complete by 22 September.
Unite can confirm a flat rate fully consolidated offer of £2,000 for those earning up to £20,500. This is the equivalent to an increase of around 10 – 11 per cent for the lowest paid who are estimated to be around 18 per cent of the total workforce. The offer is consolidated into overtime, allowances and pensions.
It further includes a £1,925 flat rate offer which is fully consolidated for those earning between £20,500 and up to £39,000. This is the equivalent to an increase of 8 per cent for those earning around £24,000. The offer would also be backdated to April.
Unite estimates that trade union negotiators have been able to secure around an extra £460m for local government since the dispute in waste services began in Edinburgh on 18 August.
Wendy Dunsmore, Unite’s lead negotiator for local government, welcomed the new offer, she said:“After the latest round of intensive talks a new credible offer has finally been put on the table by COSLA. Unite wants to acknowledge the First Minister’s direct involvement as a primary reason for the breakthrough.
“The offer on the table is fully consolidated and as such there will be more cash in the pot going forward for local government workers. It provides a degree of security for the lowest paid with a flat rate offer of £2000 which is an uplift worth around 10-11 per cent.
“We now have a credible offer which our local government representatives can recommend to the membership for acceptance.”
It is reported that more than half of Scotland’s 250,000 council workers are earning less than £25,000 a year for a 37-hour week.
COSLA has said it was delighted to get to a point in this year’s pay negotiations whereby a fresh pay offer has been put to the Trade Unions.
Commenting yesterday [Friday 2nd September 2022] following a meeting of Council Leaders, Councillor Katie Hagmann, COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson, said: “Firstly I would like to thank all our Trade Union colleagues for the constructive discussions.
“The revised offer made shows that Scotland’s Council Leaders have listened to the concerns of our workforce and have responded positively.
“Council Leaders have said consistently throughout these negotiations that we very much value and are grateful to the Local Government Workforce.
“We have sent letters to our union colleagues following today’s meeting and hope that this enables strike action to be suspended and allows our workforce to get back to doing what they do best, delivering high quality essential services for the people within our communities right across Scotland.”
Commenting on the new pay offer for local government workers from COSLA, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “Unions work. This offer could not have been possible without the solidarity of our collective movement. As it should be, it’s now up to the members whether to accept this proposal.
“We’re facing the gravest cost of living emergency seen for generations. When there is the political will to do so, instigated by Scotland’s workers and with the assistance of political leaders, the Scottish Government can indeed intervene to help those most in need.
“Other workers across public services will welcome this precedent as they too seek pay justice in the face of the cost-of-living crisis. We intended to make this loud and clear at our cost of living pay march outside the Scottish Parliament this Thursday, September 8th.”
The City of Edinburgh Council has updated its advice to residents following this afternoon’s announcement that industrial action is to be paused.
Strike action was due to restart in Edinburgh on Tuesday but, following the latest offer from COSLA, Unite and GMB trade unions have agreed to suspend the action while they conduct a consultative ballot of their members.
The Council has updated its recovery plan to take account of this and residents are being advised that kerbside collections (grey and green wheelie bins, plus food waste) will resume as normal from next week.
This excludes garden waste and blue box glass collections, which will restart from 13 September. As previously communicated, garden waste customers will be compensated for any missed collections resulting from strike action.
Any residents who were due a collection on Thursday 1 or Friday 2 September whose bins haven’t yet been emptied are being advised to leave them out for collection – they’ll be emptied as soon as possible.
Street cleaning teams, meanwhile, continue to make good progress with the city-wide clean-up, focusing their efforts on high-footfall areas and working closely with waste collection teams to clear excess litter around bins.
Full details of the recovery plan and the latest guidance have been published on the Council website: www.edinburgh.gov.uk/binstrike
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Clearly, I’m pleased that next week’s strike action has been suspended while union members consider this latest offer – and I’m cautiously optimistic that they’ll follow their unions’ recommendation and accept.
“This dispute has already dragged on way too long and the Scottish Government and COSLA leadership would do well to reflect on this going forward.
“I know this will come as a relief to residents and businesses across Edinburgh who’ve had to endure a difficult few weeks for our Capital city – but I hope, like me, they’ll agree it’s been worth it to secure a fair deal for our hard working colleagues.
(NOTE – Cammy Day voted to offer those ‘hard working colleagues’ just 3.5%!)
“Our teams have put in an incredible shift since returning to work on Tuesday – collecting an eye-watering 3,500 tonnes of waste in the process and underlining their immense value to our city and its reputation.
“The clean-up will continue in the coming days and most kerbside collections will resume as normal from next Tuesday. Unfortunately, for this to happen, we do still need to divert some resources away from garden waste and glass collections, but I’m pleased they’ll be able to resume from the following week.
“I appreciate that this has been, and continues to be, an extremely challenging period for us all and I would like to thank our residents, businesses and visitors for their continued patience and understanding.”
*** UPDATE – STRIKES SUSPENDED FOLLOWING NEW PAY OFFER ***
UNITE members in Waste and Cleansing will walk out again from Tuesday 6th to Tuesday 13th September as the dispute over local government pay in Scotland continues.
Schools workers in Edinburgh are not on strike.
Unite is adamant that until COSLA obtains funding from the Scottish Government to offer a proper pay rise, action will continue with the mandates we have in waste and schools.
The First Minister held talks with both Cosla and the striking trade unions yesterday in an attempt to break the deadlock. There has been some progress and a deal is inching closer. Talks will continue today.
UPDATE: 3.30pm UNITE has suspended next week’s strike action as members consider an improved pay offer
COSLA last night expressed its disappointment with the Local Government Trade Unions reaction to ‘one of the best pay deals for their workforce in decades’.
The offer, negotiated on behalf of Scotland’s 32 councils, is an overall package worth half a billion pounds, giving 5% to all staff plus an additional cost of living payment to our lowest paid employees. Based on a 37-hour week no member of staff will get less than an additional £1925 and for those earning under £20,500 at least a £2,000 pay increase – for this year and also next year.
This has been designed to address the concerns and firm view of Trade Unions that the lowest paid must be protected during this crisis and demonstrates Local Government’s commitment to not leave anyone behind.
Councils continue to strive to lead the way in pushing up minimum rates of pay and as well as this are including an extra days annual leave this year.
Councillor Katie Hagmann COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson said: “Council Leaders have said consistently throughout these negotiations that we absolutely value and are grateful to all of our local government workforce.
“It is perhaps only when waste starts piling up and there is the prospect of further disruption to life with school closures that others see the hidden value local government services deliver each and every day of the year in our towns, villages and cities.
“It is for this reason that we as employers have done everything possible to put the best offer we can to our workforce. But we are now at the absolute extremes of affordability and this is already an offer which is stretching our already stretched finances like never before.
“This year’s offer is significantly better and different to previous offers and would have helped to support our Council workforces across the country at this difficult time.
“That support is crucial at any time but particularly now, during the cost of living crisis the country is facing. This is why we are so disappointed with the response to it from our Trade Union colleagues.
“Given our commitment as Employers to get to this point, we are disappointed that Trade Unions will not suspend planned strike action whilst they put this offer to members to allow workers to get back to doing what they do best, delivering high quality, essential services right across Scotland.
“My final point to the Trade Union colleagues is that we have done everything we possibly can to get to this stage and that this offer – which is still on the table – is as good as it gets.”
UNISON responded: ‘Strikes to continue – We will recommend UNISON council members vote to reject the latest LG pay offer in a digital consultative ballot in the coming days.’
GMB Scotland and Unite, the two other unions locked in the local government dispute, also rejected the latest pay offer. GMB says the council pay offer feathers nests of service directors over frontline staff.
GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Keir Greenaway said: “A flat rate award is a key demand from unions to ensure more consolidated money goes into the pockets of frontline workers and not the highest paid in our councils. COSLA knew this but instead tabled this offer as an across-the-board percentage rise that only feathers the nests of service directors.
“This was unacceptable to our local government committee members. It’s not credible that in the grip of the biggest cost-of-living crisis in forty years, and with inflation and energy bills soaring, a head of service gets four times the consolidated increase than a bin collector, cleaner or carer.
“That’s why we have written to COSLA again this evening urging them to return to talks as soon as possible and to negotiate a new offer based on a flat rate increase. If they don’t do this, then when our committee reconvenes tomorrow, we will outline our plans to fully consult GMB members.”
The big clean up begins in Edinburgh this morning – but unless a pay deal can be thrashed out we could be facing another round of industrial action in Auld Reekie as earky as next week.
UNITE members rallied outside the City Chambers yesterday to mark the end of the first wave of strikes – but made clear this dispute is far from over.
A Unite spokesperson said: “Unless they get an offer Local Authority workers deserve, Edinburgh will be joined by 19 other Councils to take further action from September 6th.”
Work to clear mountains of rubbish on Edinburgh’s stinking streets begins tomorrow
The City of Edinburgh Council is preparing to resume waste and cleansing services following industrial action.
With the scheduled strike due to end at 4.59am on Tuesday, additional resources are being deployed to support street cleansing and communal bin collections, particularly in the city centre and other areas most affected by the strike.
Residents receiving kerbside collections are being asked to put their bins out as normal on their scheduled collection day. Extra waste will be collected during this time, if it is bagged and put next to wheelie or communal bins
Blue box (glass) collections will continue to be suspended to prioritise resources, though Household Waste and Recycling Centres will reopen from Tuesday with extended hours. Bookings can be made online as normal.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I regret the impact this national crisis has had on our Capital city and am continuing to press the Scottish Government to fund an acceptable settlement. Talks are continuing over the weekend and I’m hopeful we can reach agreement and prevent any further disruption.
“As I’ve said throughout, I fully respect the right of our colleagues to take this action and have their voices heard. As a trade union member myself, I’ve joined the picket lines in support of fair pay for our workforce and will do so again.”
He may have joined a picket line, butEdinburgh’s Labour council leader has been criticised for voting AGAINST a 5% pay offer to the striking workers, instead voting with the Tories at a Cosla meeting to support an increase of just 3.5% – an offer that would never have been acceptable to the trade unions.
However Cllr Day went on:”This dispute has brought the value of our waste and cleansing teams – and their right to fair wage – into sharp focus and I’m delighted they’ll be back out from Tuesday, helping to return our city to its best.
“While they’ll be working hard to catch up on collections and making every effort to collect litter across the city, it’ll take time for things to return to normal. Please bear with them as they do so and, if you can store your extra waste safely for a little longer or are able to book an appointment at a recycling centre, please do so.
“If your bin is not collected on its normal day, please leave it out and it’ll be picked up as soon as possible thereafter.
“I appreciate that this has been an extremely challenging period for us all and I would like to thank our residents, businesses and visitors for their continued patience and understanding.”
While the industrial action in Edinburgh ends tomorrow, the pay claim has not been resolved and further strikes will follow unless a settlement can be reached. Some progress has been made however and a deal is edging closer – Cosla and the trade unions will meet for a fifth day of talks later today.
Services restart 30 August
Our bin collection and street cleaning services will restart onTuesday 30 August.
We’ll be working hard to catch up on collections after the strike action.
If you are able to take excess waste, such as cardboard, plastics and other dry recycling, to the household waste recycling centres, please book an appointment. This would help our teams collect other waste more quickly. Recycling centres hours have been extended.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Communal services
Communal bin collections are restarting from 30 August.
We will collect excess waste – please bag it and place it neatly beside the bin. If you can, please put mixed recycling in a clear bag.
We have additional council teams helping with collections however it may take time for collections to get back to normal and we appreciate your patience.
Kerbside services
Restarting on 30 August and will be focused on key services.
There may be some disruption as we catch up on the backlog.
If your bins are not emptied on your normal collection day, please leave them out until we get to them.
Non-recyclable waste collections (grey bins)
Restarting on 30 August. Please put your bin out on your next scheduled collection day.
We will collect excess waste as long as it is bagged. Please bag your extra waste neatly beside your wheelie bin on your scheduled collection day.
Mixed recycling collections (green bins)
Restarting on 30 August. Please put your bin out on your next scheduled collection day.
We will collect excess waste as long as it is bagged. Please bag your extra waste neatly beside your wheelie bin on your scheduled collection day. If possible, please bag your mixed recycling in a clear bag.
Food waste collections
Restarting on 30 August.
Please put your food bin out on your next scheduled collection day. Please do not present excess food waste outside the caddy.
Glass collections (blue box)
To allow us to catch up with collecting other waste, kerbside glass collections is still suspended. We will let you know when this collection will restart.
Restarting on 30 August. Please put your bin out on your next scheduled collection day.
If you’re a garden waste customer, we’ll be in touch shortly with details of how we’ll compensate you for any collections missed during the strike.
Gull proof sacks
Please put your sack out for collection on your scheduled collection day this week.
We will collect extra waste. Please bag it and leave it neatly beside your sack.
Litter bins and street cleansing
These services will restart from 30 August.
Our street cleansing teams will be prioritising the city centre, town centres, and areas with high footfall and many on-street bins.
We’ll be working hard to collect litter across the city but it may take time to catch up on the backlog. Thank you for your patience.
Request and replacing bins and boxes
Our repair, replacement or removal of bins and boxes service is still suspended. This is to allow us to divert resources to cleansing and waste collections.
Waste reporting and enquires
We have removed online reporting for waste and cleansing as we focus on catching up with cleansing and waste collections.
If you need to report an emergency issue where waste is causing injury or hazard, please phone and listen to the new options carefully. Phone 0131 608 1100 from
