Tag: COSLA

Improving relationships and behaviour in schools

Guidance published to support pupils and teachers

New guidance to empower schools to take action on mobile phone use and next steps in ongoing work to improve relationships and behaviour in schools has been published.

The ‘Behaviour and Relationships in Schools’ action plan, and targeted guidance for teachers to manage mobile phone use in schools, set out steps to be deployed at the national, local and school level over the next three years in response to concerns about relationships and behaviour in schools, including:

  • supporting the effective recording and monitoring of inappropriate behaviour
  • encouraging schools to reinforce a positive ethos and culture
  • providing guidance and support to ensure schools can embed relationships and behaviour policies which set clear expectations of relationships and behaviour

The new guidance on mobile phone use makes clear that while it is for individual schools to determine what action to take, head teachers are empowered to take the steps they see fit, including a full ban on mobile phone use in school if that is their judgement.

Aside from impacting behaviour, a growing body of evidence shows mobile phone use also impacts on learning. The Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 data showed that almost a third of 15-year-olds in Scotland and across all Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries reported being distracted using digital devices in most or every maths class – and around a quarter reported being distracted by others using digital devices.

During a visit to Stonelaw High School in Rutherglen, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Since the last action plan on relationships and behaviour in Scotland’s schools was published in 2017, our children and young people have experienced periods of significant challenge, including a global pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis which is causing real difficulty for families across the country. There is no doubt this has had a major impact on their schooling and how they learn.

“Improving relationships, behaviour and attendance in schools is one of my top priorities as Education Secretary. We have been working jointly on this with key partners such as COSLA and SAGRABIS since I was appointed and this new action plan contains a series of steps to be taken which will ensure that both pupils and staff are safe and supported.

“It takes an evidence-based approach to responding to the relationships and behaviour challenges faced in our schools and has been informed by the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR), which heard from nearly 4,000 teachers and support staff, as well as discussions with a wide range of stakeholders including teaching unions at the three behaviour summits.

“While it is clear that the vast majority of pupils in our schools continue to behave well, there are undoubtedly growing behavioural issues associated with mobile phones.

“This new guidance empowers head teachers to take the steps they see fit for their school to limit the use of mobile phones, including a full ban on the school estate if they feel that is required and I would encourage teachers to take all the steps they feel necessary to combat these issues.”

COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People Tony Buchanan said: “Ensuring children and young people feel supported, safe and ready to learn is of vital importance to Local Government, and we need to make sure schools are safe and welcoming places for all.

“We have worked closely with the Scottish Government and our partners across education system to develop the action plan and guidance published today.

“We will continue to work in partnership to enable the provision of the best possible support, in and out of school, so that children and young people to get the most out of their learning.”

Acting Stonelaw High School Headteacher Vicki Rice said: “We were delighted to welcome the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to our school. The Cabinet Secretary took part in discussion groups with our staff and pupils who were given a valuable opportunity to talk with her about these important issues as part of their work and study on personal and social education.

“We discussed our work earlier this year with our parents and pupils about excessive phone use and the impact that this can have on learning. This work helped inform our plans for this session to protect the learning environment by limiting phone use in certain areas of the school.

“We will continue to work with our pupils and their families to ensure that this remains supported.

“This fits with our wider efforts to create positive relationships and behaviour right across our school. We know that getting this right for our learners means that they feel safer, more included, respected and supported.

“This in turn helps create strong relationships between our learners and staff and helps improve everyone’s wellbeing.”

Commenting on the publication of the National Action Plan on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools and mobile phone guidance by the Scottish Government, Mike Corbett, National Official Scotland for NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said: “While NASUWT is frustrated with the length of time taken to produce this National Action Plan, we have nevertheless engaged in good faith with the Scottish Government, shared our members’ current experiences on managing pupil behaviour and advocated strongly around how they might be addressed.

“We are encouraged by the recognition that a range of approaches and consequences are required given that restorative approaches to poor behaviour do not work for all pupils and cannot be the only tool available to schools when responding to incidents of abuse and violence.

“We need to see better recording and monitoring of behaviour incidents in schools as an essential part of ensuring consistency and measuring progress and improvements over time.

“We very much welcome that the principle of serious consequences for serious misbehaviour, up to and including exclusion, where necessary, has been accepted.

“The Scottish Government must make it clear that serious misbehaviour will carry serious consequences if any plan is to secure a safe and orderly environment for teachers and students.

“Given the recent riots in other parts of the UK, the acknowledgement that more work is needed to support schools in addressing racism and racist incidents, along with other forms of discrimination such as misogyny, is welcome.

“We know that mobile phones can be used as a tool to bully and harass fellow pupils and teachers, as well as distracting pupils from their learning. We therefore welcome the guidance from the Scottish Government that school leaders can take steps to limit or ban the use of phones in their schools if they see fit. However, to be effective, addressing the use of mobile phones should form part of joined up whole-school strategies on managing pupil behaviour.

“While we are pleased to see that the Action Plan intends that schools will be offered support to adopt the recommendations within it, including suggested approaches and exemplars, it is disappointing that the Scottish Government has not as yet committed any additional funding, time or resources to schools to support this work.

“Teachers and school leaders are already dealing with excessive workloads and constrained budgets. Implementing the recommendations of this action plan is too important a task to be simply added to schools’ already lengthy to do lists. Ring-fenced time and funding is needed.” 

Relationships and Behaviour in schools action plan

Suicide in Scotland: Minister responds to ‘distressing’ report

Mental Wellbeing Minster Maree Todd has described a rise in the number of probable suicides last year as “distressing”, saying the increase is driving a determination to deliver change.

National Records of Scotland figures show there were 792 probable suicides in 2023 – an increase of 30 on the previous year.

The Scottish Government is taking action jointly with COSLA to reduce the number of deaths by suicide. This ensures government and local services work together to support anyone at risk of suicide or affected by it, while tackling underlying factors that can lead to suicide, such as inequalities, stigma and discrimination, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic and cost of living crisis.

Self-harm is also a risk factor for suicide and last year saw the launch of the world’s first action plan focussed solely on tackling the issue. This includes funding for a new service where anyone affected by self-harm can get compassionate support, without fear of stigma or discrimination. 

Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “This report makes for distressing reading and my sincere condolences go out to all those who have been affected by the loss of a loved one by suicide.

“I am determined that together with COSLA and other partners we reduce the number of deaths by suicide and improve the nation’s mental health as a whole.

“The ambition and innovation in Scotland’s suicide prevention approach is widely recognised. However, we know there is always more to do.

“We are working hard with communities and services to help people talk more openly about suicide and offer compassionate support. We are prioritising reaching more people at higher risk of suicide, including those living in poverty, middle aged men, and LGBT communities. 

“We are launching an online portal to ensure people feeling suicidal know where to go for help. The introduction of suicide reviews this year will also help us spot missed opportunities to support people and importantly use that learning to redesign services.

“Our wider actions around Mental Health are also helping to prevent suicide. They include funding more than 800 additional mental health workers in A&E departments, GP practices, police custody suites and prisons, and investing in our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund which prioritises suicide prevention and social isolation projects.”

Chair of the Scottish Government’s Suicide Prevention Academic Advisory Group Professor Rory O’Connor said: “Similar to other countries, sadly an increase is not unexpected given the challenges of recent years, including the cost of living crisis and the economic downturn which have led to financial and social hardship for so many.

“Every single death is heartbreaking, leaving behind devastated families, friends and communities.  We need to continue to do everything we can to ensure that those at risk of suicide receive the care and support that they need when they need it.” 

COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison said: “As the voice of Local Government in Scotland, COSLA has taken a strong position on the importance of the mental health and wellbeing of our communities and the need to tackle inequalities that contribute to suicide risk.

“There is a considerable amount of work taking place across local areas in Scotland which supports delivery of the Suicide Prevention Strategy.

“We firmly believe that no death by suicide is acceptable, and we remain committed to working in partnership with Scottish Government to realise the ambitions of our joint strategy ‘Creating Hope Together’ to reduce deaths by suicide, whilst tackling the inequalities which contribute to suicide.”

Anyone affected by these issues can access support from the following services:

Suicide Prevention Scotland responds to 2023 death by suicide data

Suicide Prevention Scotland has responded to today’s release of data from National Records of Scotland (NRS) for 2022  which shows a small year on year increase in deaths by probable suicide.

Statistics released by NRS show that there were 792 suicides registered in 2023, a 3.9% increase on 2022 (which was up 1.2% on 2021’s data). 

It’s the highest number of deaths by suicide since 2020 (805).

To understand how this increase fits into the broader trend, it is essential to consider not just year-to-year changes but also the five-year average, which provides a more stable and reliable measure of trends over time. 

The number of deaths by suicide in 2023 at 792 is very slightly above the previous five-year average (787 for 2018-2022).

Compared to the previous female five-year average (208 for 2018-2022), 2023 shows a decrease of six deaths. Compared to the previous male five-year average (579 for 2018-2022), 2023 shows an increase of 11 probable suicides.

The average age of death by suicide has fallen from the previous year. In 2022 this was 48.2 years; in 2023 it was 46.6 years.

The overall increase in the past year can be attributed to an increase in male suicides by 34 (590). There was a reduction in female suicides by four (202). The rate for men remains three times that of women. 

Looking back over the previous few years, there was a long downward trend in suicide rates from 2011-2017. 

This was followed by an increase in 2018 and 2019, then by a decrease in 2020 and 2021, with the lowest numbers seen since 2017 (680) in 2021 (753). 

The numbers released for 2022 increased very slightly (762). 

The further increase in numbers for 2023 suggest that the downward trend may have stalled, however it is too early to say as several years’ data are needed to confirm an overall trend.

Over the last five years, Scotland’s suicide rates have shown fluctuations, with some years experiencing notable increases. 

For example, in 2018, there were 784 deaths by suicide, a sharp rise from previous years, particularly among young people aged 15-24. The numbers slightly decreased in 2021 to 753 but rose again to 762 in 2022.

Probable suicides in the 15–24-year-old group have increased by ten to 79 in 2023, from 69 in 2022. 

However, the category with the highest increase was the 35-44-year-olds (up 22 to 175), repeating a pattern seen for the previous year’s data, where this age-group also had one of the highest increases in suicide numbers for 2022 (up 22).

In contrast, the biggest reduction seen is in the 65-74-year-old group, which has fallen by 28 to 63 in 2023 from 91 in 2022. 

There has also been a slight decrease over the last year in the 75-84-year-old group, with numbers staying the same in the 55-64-year-old age group.

The decrease in these older age groups was driven mostly by male suicides, which decreased by 22 to 99 in the 55-64-year-olds, and by 12 in the 65-74-year-olds. 

In contrast, the increase seen for 2023 was driven mostly by male suicides in the 35-44-year-old group, which were up 23 to 144, and the highest number in this age category since 2011.

Although 792 people died by suicide in 2023, this number does not consider changes in the population size or how the number of people in different age groups change as time goes by. 

Therefore, suicide rates corrected for these changes give more meaningful comparisons. 

When we use these corrected suicide rates, the highest rates seen in 2023 was among 35-39-year-old males (44.3 per 100,000), an increase of 9.8 from 34.5 in 2022. 

The next highest rate was for 40-44-year-old males (42.1 per 100,000), an increase of 5.4 from 36.7 in 2022. 

In comparison, the highest rate for female suicide rate increased by 7.0 to 14.9 in the 50-54-year-old group.

In 2023, the suicide rate in the most deprived areas was 20.9 per 100,000, compared with least deprived areas of 8.6 per 100,000. 

This means that deaths by suicides in 2023 occurred 2.4 times more in our most deprived communities, an improvement on inequality seen in previous years e.g., 2022 which was 2.6 times more and the previous five-year average 2018-2022, which was 3.1 times more.

In September 2022, the Scottish Government and COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) launched the country’s new long-term suicide prevention strategy and action plan, Creating Hope Together. 

To deliver the new strategy, a new community of organisations and people, Suicide Prevention Scotland, has been established.

Last week it reported on progress made during its first full year in operation. 

Creating Hope Together sets out four key outcomes. Partnership is at the heart of the approach, with a range of strategic partner(s) appointed to drive delivery. They are:

  • Creating a safer environment that protects against suicide across the whole of Government and society – Samaritans
  • Improving understanding of suicide and tackling stigma – SAMH
  • Providing compassionate support for anyone affected by suicide – Penumbra & Change Mental Health
  • Working in a connected way, that always draws on evidence and lived experience – Public Health Scotland 

A new National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group (NSPAG) has also been established. 

Led by Rose Fitzpatrick CBE QPM, its members represent many of the sectors leading work on the social determinants of suicide. This includes poverty, as well as partners who are working in key sectors affected by suicide — such as the criminal justice sector.

Their role is to provide advice to Suicide Prevention Scotland, Scottish Government and COSLA which helps us focus on the complexity, intersectionality and inequality of suicide. 

NSPAG recently published its first year report and recommendations.

Suicide Prevention Scotland’s National Delivery Lead Haylis Smith comments: “The fact that 792 people died by suicide is a stark reminder we still have so much more to do – and we are determined to keep working together do it. 

“We don’t just think about the number of people who die by suicide on this day in August, they are in our thoughts every day – they help drive us to do this work – to try to help prevent future deaths.

“Every death by suicide is one too many and we need to continue to build our understanding of what we need to do and how we need to do it by listening to the experts, those who study and research suicide and people who have lived and living experience. 

“We’ll use that understanding to help us develop and deliver more action that will save lives.

Ross Cunningham is part of Suicide Prevention Scotland’s Lived Experience Panel. Ross, who lives in Orkney, has suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts and is an advocate for social prescribing. He said:

“The grief experienced by so many people across Scotland who have had to bear the death of a loved one to suicide in 2023, or any year, is a heartbreak beyond words. The loss is something family and friends will tragically have to live with for the rest of their lives.

“Those we have lost aren’t just a statistic, they were people living in Scotland who had a name, had parents, had friends and family who loved them very much, had hobbies, had dreams and ambitions, and had a life of their own – one which cruelly came to an end when they believed that suicide was their only option.

“We must not let the immense loss of life to suicide that these figures represent, and those before it, be in vain. This should be a wake up call to governments, policy makers, employers and wider society that more must be done in all parts of Scotland – in every village, town, city and island community – to take preventative actions and to further support those suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts.

“Everyone can take little steps each day, recognising that you may need to talk to someone or seek support about your own mental health, or even if it’s just checking in with a friend on WhatsApp or phoning a loved one you know who might be going through a difficult time.

“Please don’t suffer in silence, don’t bottle things up. If you are going through something, know that support is out there – and the first step to getting that support is speaking to someone about how you’re feeling.”

Nadine Dougall, Professor of Mental Health & Data Science at Edinburgh Napier University and a member of the Suicide Prevention Scotland Academic Advisory Group comments: “Each death by suicide is an enormous tragedy, leaving devastating and lasting impacts on families, friends, and communities. 

“Suicide is complex and rarely caused by a single factor, needing a whole-population approach to prevention.

“While reducing deaths by suicide is essential, it is also crucial to understand long-term trends and the influence of various factors to guide effective suicide prevention efforts. 

“Notably, deaths by suicide among men aged 35-44 have increased, with the suicide rate reaching 44.3 per 100,000 people – the highest since 2011. This calls for further investigation to focus suicide prevention activities. Although there have been some gains in reducing inequality in suicide rates, much more needs to be done to sustain and improve these efforts.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or feeling suicidal, please don’t hesitate to ask for help by contacting your GP, NHS24 on 111, Samaritans on 116 123 or Breathing Space on 0800 83 58 87.

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Tackling gender violence

Improving support for diverse communities

Next steps to address violence against women and girls, including measures to combat culturally specific forms of violence, have been unveiled.

The latest Equally Safe Delivery Plan – developed in partnership with COSLA – focuses on prevention of abuse across Scotland’s diverse communities. For the first time, this includes taking forward a specific approach to tackle honour-based abuse.

Recognising the higher risk of abuse that women and girls with learning disabilities face, it will also ensure that relevant educational settings are equipped to teach pupils about healthy relationships and improve access to support services.

Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Violence against women and girls is abhorrent and has no place in modern Scotland. Since 2021, frontline projects backed by our Delivering Equally Safe Fund have supported nearly 60,000 adults, children and young people, and we are determined to build on that progress.

“This plan sets out our sustained focus on prevention, improving support services and ensuring the justice response is robust.

“Gendered abuse can happen in any community and to ensure that it is tackled effectively and equitably for all women, we are strengthening our response to the diverse ways that violence and abuse can occur.

“That includes recognising that abusers could be extended family members rather than partners – like in some cases of honour-based violence – and ensuring tailored support is provided for vulnerable groups, including women with learning disabilities and migrants.”

COSLA ‘s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Maureen Chalmers said: “This Delivery Plan is a road map underpinning the next phase of COSLA’s and the Scottish Government’s shared journey towards an Equally Safe Scotland for women and girls.

“We will work collaboratively over the next two years with key specialist and public sector partners, to achieve the delivery of these commitments through our collective energies. No one government, sector or service can prevent and tackle violence against women and girls alone.”

The plan was launched with a visit from Ms Stewart and Ms Chalmers to Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis Centre.

Director of the centre, Claudia Macdonald-Bruce said: “Every day, we see the impact that an experience of rape and sexual abuse has on women and girls. It is life-changing, life-altering and sometimes life-ending. No women or girl should have to wait for our help when they ask for it.

“I hope that today’s opportunity to see in action how our trauma-informed, survivor voice and data-led approaches to the provision and development of our specialist services for women and girls, is welcomed too as future decisions continue to be made.”

The Equally Safe Delivery Plan is available to view online.

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GMB suspends bin strikes to ballot council workers on new pay offer

Industrial action looming across Scotland paused as members vote

GMB Scotland today suspended looming industrial action in Scotland’s local authorities after receiving a revised pay offer.

The union, one of the biggest in Scotland’s local authorities, paused eight days of strikes in waste and cleansing, due to start on Wednesday, to allow members to vote on the new terms.

GMB Scotland’s local government committee met this morning to discuss the offer from Cosla, representing Scots councils, involving a 3.6% increase for all grades with a rise of £1,292 for the lowest paid, equivalent to 5.6%.

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, said: “This offer is a significant improvement on what came before but our members will decide if it is acceptable.

“It is better than that offered to council staff in England and Wales, would mean every worker receives a rise higher than the Retail Price Index and, importantly, is weighted to ensure frontline workers gain most.

“As a gesture of goodwill, we will suspend action until our members can vote on the offer.

“It should never have got to this stage, however, and Scotland’s council leaders have again shown an absolute lack of urgency or sense of realism.

“For months, we have been forced to waste time discussing a series of low-ball offers when it was already clear the Scottish Government needed to be at the table.

“The obvious reluctance of some council leaders to approach ministers has only caused needless uncertainty and threatened disruption.

“That is no way to run a railroad or conduct serious pay negotiations.”

UNITE has also called off imminent strike action and UNISON are expected to announce their position later this afternoon.

Last ditch offer to avert council strikes

Following a special meeting of Council Leaders yesterday to discuss Local Government Pay, COSLA has made a ‘significantly improved’ formal offer to the trade unions.

Scotland’s council leaders welcomed that Scottish Government had provided funding to take a pay offer beyond the 3.2% previously offered by COSLA, recognising the financial position facing councils while also providing firm assurances around any recurring additional funding.

This additional funding means that the revised offer is better than the offer made to Local Government workers in the rest of the UK.

If the offer is accepted everyone will receive at least 3.6% and for the first pay point on our pay scales,  there will be an increase of £1292 (or 5.63%), The overall offer value is 4.27%.

In making this improved offer, COSLA is requesting that strike action is suspended while it is considered by the unions, who have been made aware of Leaders’ concerns that the additional funding may be at risk if strikes go ahead.

COSLA’s Resources Spokespeople Cllr Katie Hagmann said: “Having worked hard over the last week with Scottish Government to increase and guarantee additional funding, Leaders are now in a position to make this improved offer to our trade unions.  

“This offer reflects what trade unions have asked for and we hope that they will now be prepared to call off the strikes while they put that offer to their members.”

COSLA Excellence Awards 2024 Finalists Announced

Fifteen projects from across Scotland have been chosen as finalists for the 2024 Excellence Awards, which are COSLA’s annual celebration of Scottish Local Government success.

All 32 Scottish local authorities and partner organisations were invited over the summer to submit entries to a judging panel comprising a number of experts across local and national government as well as the private sector.

After much deliberation, our judging teams determined just 15 finalists from dozens of high-quality applications – this year, entries surpassed 200 for the second year in a row. The judges’ shortlist features a series of projects and programmes which highlighted areas of best practice and innovative service delivery over five categories; Service Innovation and Improvement, Achieving Better Outcomes for the Most Vulnerable in Partnership, Tackling Inequalities and Improving Health and Wellbeing, Strengthening Communities and Local Democracy and Just Transition to a Net Zero Economy.

Finalists will now be invited to present their projects in person to a panel of judges in August led by COSLA President Shona Morrison, who will decide on a winner in each of the 5 main categories as well as the winners of an additional 4 special awards; COSLA Chairperson’s Award, SOLACE Best Team Award, The Scottish Government – Delivering Excellence Award, and the Excellent People, Excellent Outcomes Award.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at COSLA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition, which will take place on Thursday 19th September 2024 at the Crieff Hydro Hotel, Perthshire.

Councillor Shona Morrison, COSLA’s President and Chairperson of the Excellence Awards, said: “Firstly, I’d like to offer congratulations to our 15 finalists! Getting through to the final part of this awards process is no small feat, so I hope you are feeling incredibly proud of getting this far and I am really looking forward to seeing the presentations in a few weeks.

“The judging teams have let me know that the calibre of applications this year was extremely high, so I sincerely thank everyone who took the time to put in an application.

“The COSLA Excellence Awards are a highlight of my year and it’s always inspiring to hear so many positive and innovative projects coming from across Scottish local government. In such a challenging time for councils it cannot be underestimated how much these teams and the services they offer are relied upon by our communities – overcoming increasingly complex challenges every day.

“Councils do and achieve more than what is often seen or portrayed – the work of these teams affects every part of our lives, and are often a lifeline for the most vulnerable members of our communities.

“I hope you’ll join me in celebrating their efforts, and I am looking forward to the winners being announced at our awards ceremony at the COSLA Conference and Exhibition in September.”

This year’s finalists (in no particular order) are: 

Category 1: Service innovation and improvement (sponsored by Scottish Water)

  • Shared ARC Programme – Digital Office for Local Government
  • Development and implementation of a Chatbot to improve the missed bins ‘experience’ for citizens – West Dunbartonshire Council
  • OneSource: Making a Difference with Data – Pupil Absence and Attendance – Falkirk Council

Category 2: Achieving better outcomes for the most vulnerable in partnership

  • Early Help Clackmannanshire – Clackmannanshire Council
  • My Way To Employment (MWtE) – Aberdeen City Council
  • A Warm Scottish Welcome – North Lanarkshire Ukrainian Resettlement Project – North Lanarkshire Council

Category 3: Tackling inequalities and improving health and wellbeing (sponsored by Public Health Scotland)

  • Reaching Out to People at Risk and Removing Barriers to Accessing Drug Support – Aberdeen City Council Community Planning Partnership
  • Marthas Mammmies – Glasgow City Council and Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health and Social Care Partnership
  • Breast Feeding Friendly North Lanarkshire – Leading the way in Driving Cultural Change – North Lanarkshire Council

Category 4: Strengthening communities and local democracy

  • Top CATs! – Dumfries and Galloway Council
  • Paisley Learning & Cultural Hub – Renfrewshire Council
  • North Ayrshire Islands Programme (incorporating North Ayrshire Islands Recovery and Renewal Pilot) – North Ayrshire Council

Category 5: Just transition to a net zero economy (sponsored by Amey)

  • AMIDS District Heating Network – Renfrewshire Council
  • Improving Inverclyde’s environment through peatland restoration – Inverclyde Council
  • Shetland Rural Energy Network – Shetland Islands Council

Places for the 2024 COSLA Conference and Exhibition can be booked here.

Bin strikes to hit Edinburgh during Festival Fringe

ALL SET FOR AULD REEKIE – THE SEQUEL

Union tells councils to expect eight days of industrial action

GMB Scotland today confirmed bin strikes will begin within weeks. The union has formally served notice on councils across Scotland to expect eight days of industrial action by members in waste and recycling starting on August 14.

Bins will go unemptied from the smallest villages to the biggest cities, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, where the Fringe and International Festival starts this weekend.

The industrial action comes after pay talks with Cosla, representing Scotland’s councils, stalled. The Scottish Government joined negotiations yesterday [TUESDAY].

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, said a rejected pay offer of 3.2% had failed to match the escalating cost of living or the rise offered to council workers in England and Wales.

He said: “We had constructive talks with the Scottish Government and Cosla yesterday but our members are less interested in constructive talks than fair pay.

“The process has gone on too long with too little progress.

“We are more than halfway through the year and there is no more time to waste discussing old offers with new wrapping. Enough is enough.

“Industrial action will start in two weeks unless ministers and local authorities identify the money needed to make an acceptable offer.

“These strikes will be disruptive to all the Scots who rely on our members’ work but would not be necessary if councils had shown a greater urgency and sense of realism.”

Unite announces strike in 18 council areas

Today we served notice to 18 councils that Unite members in Waste and Cleansing, and other services, will strike in 18 councils for 8 days from 14th August.

Strike action is set to begin at 5am on Wednesday 14 August and end at 4:59am on Thursday 22 August at the following 18 councils:

  • Aberdeen City Council
  • Aberdeenshire Council
  • Angus Council
  • City of Edinburgh Council
  • Dumfries & Galloway Council
  • Dundee City Council
  • East Ayrshire Council
  • East Renfrewshire Council
  • Falkirk Council
  • Fife Council
  • Glasgow City Council
  • Inverclyde Council
  • North Ayrshire Council
  • North Lanarkshire Council
  • Renfrewshire Council
  • South Ayrshire Council
  • The Highland Council
  • West Lothian Council.

In Edinburgh

In Edinburgh, all Unite and GMB members in Waste and Cleansing will strike. Unite members in Fleet Services will also strike. Unison’s reballot in Waste and Cleansing opened on 26 July, so results are awaited – this does not impact the timetable of the strike action.

On 24 July, Unison began balloting members across the country in schools, early years and family centres, to prepare for a second wave of strike action if needed. Their ballot closes on 29 August.

Unite local government committee will soon meet to discuss balloting these areas.

Talks with the Scottish Government

Yesterday, Unite officials, including your branch secretary Brian Robertson, and those from Unison and GMB, held ‘positive talks’ with Shona Robison MSP, cabinet secretary for finance and local government and COSLA. Unite warned, however, that a new ‘credible offer’ must be tabled ‘imminently’ and said it would not suspend its scheduled strike action until that occurs.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Thousands of Unite members will take strike action next month unless there is a new credible pay offer put on the table.

“Our membership has waited months for an offer which reflects their professionalism and the dedication which they put into delivering vital local services.”

Scottish council workers offered less

The current COSLA pay offer amounts to a 3.2% increase for a one-year period between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.

Unite has said the pay offer ‘grossly undervalues’ Scottish council workers in contrast with the offer made to UK counterparts. 

An offer of £1,290 has been made to council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the National Joint Council (NJC). This equates to a rise of 67 pence per hour or 5.2% for a council worker earning around £25,000 based on a 37-hour week.

Members should note that Unite members south of the border rejected this offer.

In contrast, the COSLA offer of 3.2% equates to £800 or a 41 pence per hour increase. The pay offer difference means that a Scottish council worker would need to earn above £40,000 to match the offer being made to council workers across the UK. This means the lowest paid council workers are being disproportionately hit by COSLA’s current pay offer.  

Graham McNab, Unite industrial officer, added: “Unite stands ready to enter into meaningful negotiations at any time but our members need to see a significant shift in the coming days to avert strike action. Strike action is not yet inevitable but action from the politicians must be imminent.

“There is a window of opportunity to resolve this dispute but the politicians should be under no illusions that our members will take strike action if necessary to secure the pay offer which they deserve.”

The city council commented online: ‘Members of the trade unions GMB & Unite are planning strike action in Edinburgh from 14 – 22 August.

‘Bin collections & street cleaning services will be severely disrupted across the city during this time.’

The following services are not expected to run during the strike: – Waste & recycling collections, including all communal and kerbside bins & boxes – Street cleansing including litter bins – Recycling centres – Flytipping collections – Bulky uplift service – Public toilets.

‘This is a national dispute over pay, with strike action planned in other councils across the country unless agreement is reached. Discussions are ongoing between COSLA, trade unions and the Scottish Government with a view to agreeing a pay deal and resolving the dispute.

‘Please prepare for the strike action by visiting our website regularly for the latest updates and advice. Please tell neighbours, friends and family who may not have heard about the upcoming strike so they can prepare.’

Council Leader calls for urgent resolution to pay dispute

Cammy Day has called on the Scottish Government, COSLA and trade unions to find a solution to the national pay dispute and prevent significant disruption during Edinburgh’s busiest month.

Trade unions Unite the Union and GMB today announced plans for strike action across the waste and cleansing service in the Capital from 14–22 August.

Strike action is planned in other councils across Scotland unless agreement is reached to end the dispute.

Councillor Day said: “I’m disappointed that negotiations between Scottish Government, COSLA and the unions have so far failed to avert this action across Scotland. 

“While acknowledging that talks are ongoing, including yesterday’s meeting with the Cabinet Secretary, urgent progress needs to be made if we are to prevent significant disruption during one of the most important and enjoyable periods in Edinburgh’s calendar.

“I firmly believe that all council colleagues deserve to be paid fairly for the work they do and have every right to take this action and have their voices heard. As the lowest funded council in Scotland, it’s time for the Scottish Government to properly fund our capital city and its services.

“I’m extremely concerned about the impact this will have on bin collections and street cleaning services, as well as the cleanliness of our city. But I want to assure residents that we’ll be doing all we can to minimise any impact on essential services.

“We’ve published advice on our website for residents and businesses on how to safely and responsibly store their waste – and will continue to post updates as the situation develops. I’d ask residents to please share this information with any friends, family or neighbours who may not be online.

“We’ll also be writing out to businesses to encourage them to remind their customers that they can return their litter back to their premises for disposal, and to use reusable packaging where possible. We’re also working with our transport and hospitality partners to ensure visitors are aware of the strike and its impact on the city.

I urge the Scottish Government and COSLA to stay round the table with the unions and find a way of averting, what will be, a hugely damaging dispute for Edinburgh – and for Scotland as a whole.”

For the latest advice, guidance and updates on the strike, please visit the dedicated pages on the council’s website.

Council leaders meet to discuss ongoing pay negotiations

Council leaders reconvened from recess yesterday (24th July) for a special meeting to discuss the ongoing pay negotiations with Scottish Joint Council (SJC) Unions.

COSLA Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Katie Hagmann, commented following the meeting: “We are disappointed that the Scottish Joint Council (SJC) Trade Unions have chosen to reject the revised pay offer made on 18th July.

“We have been consistently clear that this offer of 3.2% over 12 months is at the absolute limit of affordability for councils, given the extremely challenging financial situation Local Government is facing. We believe this offer, which is above inflation, is fair, strong and credible. There is no more money available within existing council budgets to fund an increased offer without unacceptable and damaging cuts to jobs and services.

“COSLA remains committed to continuing our negotiations towards finding a solution as quickly as possible, seeking to do all we can to avoid industrial action and its damaging impact on our communities.

“In response to calls from Trade Unions, COSLA Leaders agreed today (24th July) to raise the matter of local government finance and local government pay with the Scottish Government.  As no decisions can be taken until these discussions have taken place, we request that the trade unions pause their industrial action.

“COSLA are in the process of contacting the Trade Unions and Scottish Government on this. Council Leaders value the Local Government workforce and their essential work across our communities and remain committed to reaching an agreeable solution as quickly as possible.”

‘Stinking Scottish summer’ looms as Unite rejects COSLA pay offer

Union says workers are being ‘grossly undervalued’ compared with UK council counterparts 

Unite has confirmed that its committee for local government workers has rejected the latest COSLA pay offer following a meeting in Glasgow yesterday (22 July 2024).

Unite said no ‘extra cash’ has been added to the new pay offer by COSLA, which amounts to a 3.2 per cent increase for a one-year period between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. COSLA has taken two months to shift from its previous offer, which was also rejected outright by Unite on 24 May. 

Unite is highlighting that the new pay offer ‘grossly undervalues’ Scottish council workers in contrast with the offer made to UK counterparts.

An offer of £1,290 has been made to council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the National Joint Council (NJC). This equates to a rise of 67p per hour or 5.2% for a council worker earning around £25,000 based on a 37-hour week. In contrast, the COSLA offer of 3.2% equates to £800 or a 41p per hour increase.

The pay offer difference means that a Scottish council worker would need to earn above £40,000 to match the offer being made to council workers across the UK. This means the lowest paid council workers are being disproportionately hit by COSLA’s offer. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “COSLA has taken months to put a new offer to our local government membership, and it’s one that does absolutely nothing to address more than a decade of deep cuts to pay and services.

“Unless COSLA and the Scottish government move quickly to make an acceptable offer then mountains of rubbish will pile up across the nation’s streets. The politicians have a choice, and one more chance, to resolve this pay dispute before strike action.” 

Unite has the largest union membership on the verge of participating in a first wave of strike action involving waste workers, street cleaners, and recycling centre operators. 

The union has strike action mandates involving thousands of its members across 16 councils, and it is in the process of re-balloting workers in 5 other councils (see notes to editor).

Graham McNab, Unite industrial officer, added: “COSLA’s latest pay offer doesn’t add any extra cash. It continues to grossly undervalue Scotland’s council workers compared with the offer made to their counterparts across the UK.

“A stinking Scottish summer looms unless COSLA and the Scottish government quickly sort this out by injecting more cash into a new offer. Any offer will need to value the lowest paid council workers, at least, on similar terms as the offer made to other UK council workers.”

“The Scottish government can no longer sit idly by, we are on the brink of nationwide strike action which could last for months.” 

‘Competitive’ new pay offer for Scotland’s council workforce

COSLA has made a new pay offer for the Scottish Joint Council (SJC) Workforce. The offer, a 3.2% uplift on all Spinal Column Points, covers the period 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025.

This ‘competitive’ offer is:

  • Worth more than the first year of the Scottish Government’s current Public Sector Pay Policy.
  • Higher than current inflation (CPI).
  • At the very limit of affordability for councils in the current challenging financial circumstances.
  • Is a strong, fair and credible pay offer, reflecting the high value council Leaders place on the Local Government workforce and the invaluable work they do every day serving communities across Scotland.

COSLA has requested that our trade unions seek their members’ views on this improved offer and that they suspend plans for industrial action whilst this is considered.

COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Katie Hagmann, said: “Following ongoing and constructive engagement with our Scottish Joint Council (SJC) Trade Unions, COSLA has today (18th July) written formally to the Trade Unions with a revised pay offer for the SJC Local Government workforce.

“This is for a 3.2% pay uplift at all pay points, for a one-year period of 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025, in line with the current SJC pay year. After listening to our Trade Union colleagues, the offer does not propose a change in the pay settlement date, which featured in our earlier offer. It is important to stress that this revised, fair offer is at the absolute limit of affordability for councils, given the severe financial constraints Local Government is facing.

“This strong offer is worth more than the first year of the Scottish Government’s current Public Sector Pay Policy. It is a strong, fair and credible pay offer, reflecting the high value council Leaders place on the Local Government workforce and the invaluable work they do every day serving communities across Scotland.

“We value the collective bargaining process with our Trade Union partners and remain committed to reaching a speedy and mutually agreeable resolution to pay discussions.  We request that our Trade Union colleagues seek their members’ views on this improved offer and that they suspend any plans for industrial action whilst this is considered.”