Tag: industrial action

Lecturers balloted on new pay offer

TRADE UNION URGES ACCEPTANCE OF IMPROVED OFFER

The EIS will open an indicative ballot on a revised ‘full and final’ pay offer from college employers, and will recommend to its members in the EIS Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) to vote to accept the offer, the trade union announced yesterday.

The improved offer, which was received by EIS-FELA on Friday, was discussed at a special meeting of the EIS-FELA Executive Committee. Following discussion, it was agreed to recommend acceptance of the offer to members, in light of the significant improvement upon the previous offer and the repayment of any salary deducted by ‘deeming’ in response to Action Short of Strike.

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “We will open an indicative ballot of our EIS-FELA members today, reflecting the EIS-FELA Executive’s decision to recommend that members accept this improved offer.

“This has been a long and painful campaign, with EIS-FELA members forced to engage in a long-running programme of industrial action to secure a fair pay offer from college employers and assurance that this will not come at the cost of jobs. The gains which have been achieved in this offer have been hard-won, and it is of great credit to our members that they have taken this stand and fought hard to secure this improved offer from colleges.

“The intervention of the Scottish Government, and their commitment of an additional £4.5M in funding, was key to the improvements in this offer. It will now be for EIS-FELA members to decide whether to accept the offer and bring this dispute and campaign of industrial action to an end.”

Ms Bradley continued, “Lecturers never wanted to be in this position, but were left with no choice but to engage in this programme of action as an option of last resort. During the worst cost of living crisis in living memory, our members have waited two years for a pay increase from their employers and have taken strike action and action short of strike to compel their colleges to come up with a fair offer.

“In addition to the significant increase in the value of the offer in Year 4 and the assurance in relation to no compulsory redundancies as a result of this deal, it would also compel all colleges who have ‘deemed’ pay from lecturers taking Action Short of Strike to repay that money to our members.

“This clearly highlights the unacceptable nature of the process of deeming – an anti-trade union tactic which has absolutely no place in our public sector or in any civilised society that respects and values the essential role that trade unions play in ensuring that our workplaces are fair.”

Ms Bradley added, “Our members in EIS-FELA should look out in their email inboxes for ballot information arriving this afternoon. It is important that all members have their say in this ballot, and use their vote to make their view known.

“The EIS-FELA Executive Committee is recommending that members should vote to accept the offer but, ultimately, it is our members themselves who will determine the result of this ballot.”

Note – While all planned strike action has been suspended for week beginning 26th August, the programme of Action Short of Strike (ASOS) currently remains in place, including the ongoing resulting boycott, pending the result of the indicative ballot.

EIS-FELA Suspends this Week’s College Strikes Following Progress in Talks

The EIS has announced that strikes in Scotland’s Further Education colleges, scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, have been suspended following significant progress after some meetings this morning involving EIS-FELA representatives, College Employers Scotland and the Scottish Government Minister for Further & Higher Education.

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “EIS-FELA representatives met with representatives of Scotland’s Colleges after meeting the Minister responsible for Further Education, this morning.

“Significant progress was made at this meeting, with the result that EIS-FELA and the EIS have decided to suspend three days of strike action, scheduled for this week.

“This is intended as an act of good faith and in the interests of supporting students, and is on the understanding that an improved offer will be made formally by College Employers Scotland in the coming days.”

Ms Bradley continued, “While a final settlement has yet to be reached, EIS-FELA negotiators were significantly encouraged by today’s developments and believed it appropriate to suspend this week’s strikes.

“Based on discussions this morning, we remain hopeful that a resolution can be struck that will finally see a fair pay settlement that will allow lecturers to return to working as normal, and to do what they do best which is supporting their students in colleges across Scotland to learn and progress.”

Ms Bradley added, “Discussions will now continue to iron out final details. Once a revised offer is formally on the table, our intention is to put this to EIS-FELA members in a ballot.

“Today has brought us closer to an end to this long-running dispute, and we hope that discussions will now move quickly and smoothly towards a fair agreement for all parties and a return for students to the uninterrupted, quality learning and teaching that they need and deserve.”

Note – While strike action has been suspended for this week, the programme of Action Short of Strike (ASOS) currently remains in place, including the ongoing resulting boycott.

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.”

Unite: Edinburgh members to strike over pay

Unite members in Fleet Services in Edinburgh Council have voted to take industrial action over pay. The ballot closed on Friday 5 July with 67% of members voting in favour of industrial action.

These members will join those in Waste and Cleansing and Public Conveniences in Edinburgh in the fight for a fair pay deal and fair funding for councils.

More Fringe Rubbish: ‘No Time For Waste’ as Refuse Worker Strikes Loom

Repeat of 2022 Festival Disruption ‘Likely’

Rubbish will pile up in Scottish streets, backcourts and gardens should an improved pay offer not be proposed by council body, COSLA, after GMB Scotland secures mandates for strike in waste services across Scotland.

GMB Scotland’s members in waste services in 13 councils have achieved a mandate for strike action in their dispute over pay, including in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Fife, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Aberdeenshire, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, and Stirling.

The union says that a repeat of strike action during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is likely again this year. In 2022, city centre bins overflowed with litter strewn across streets when tourists flocked to the Scottish capital.

The offer proposed by COSLA falls short of that offered by the Conservative UK Government to local authority workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The majority of workers in Scotland would have received less in cash over 12 months and a smaller rise over 18 months than their counterparts in the rest of the UK.

The union says this year’s pay talks have been a repeat of previous years where they have been needlessly protracted due to a lack of action from COSLA to provide a pay offer including blocking Scottish Government intervention in talks.

Trade unions submitted their pay claims in January with an offer only provided in May which was promptly rejected. Since then, no meaningful talks have taken place between Council Leaders and trade unions.

GMB Scotland is calling on COSLA to get round the table with unions to outline their best offer which goes beyond the rest of the UK and if unable, for Council Leaders to call for the Scottish Government’s intervention.

The union has warned that if an improved offer is not forthcoming, dates for strike action will be served.

 GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services, Keir Greenaway said: “Year after year, these talks have been needlessly drawn out. That leaves our members – typically the lowest paid working on the frontline of our services – without the pay rise they need. Inflation may be stabilising, but can anyone say they feel the difference?

“Council Leaders refuse to have meaningful talks – all while blocking the Scottish Government’s intervention to deliver a pay offer that matches our members’ value. They are counting down the clock while our members go without.

“We hear time and time again that Scotland does public services better, but that’s not the case when the Conservatives down south have already beaten COSLA’s offer. If COSLA can’t do better, it’s time for them to bring the Scottish Government to the table to fund an improved offer.

 “If not, then it’s likely that the same disruption during 2022’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival will happen again this year. Hundreds of millions are poured into the city during the Fringe, but political leaders claim they can’t find enough money to value frontline service workers.

 “Council Leaders have wasted months and they’ve wasted opportunities. Our members have no time for waste which is why rubbish will pile up in councils across Scotland if a suitable offer isn’t received. We have no interest in political games when so many are struggling.”

Unite, Unison and GMB all balloted members in Waste and Cleansing across Scotland—this ballot closed yesterday on 1 July.

In Edinburgh, UNITE have also balloted workers in Fleet Services — this ballot closes tomorrow – 3 July.

A Cosla spokeswoman told the BBC: “Cosla has made a strong offer at the limits of affordability for councils. In the context of lowering inflation and a “flat cash” budget settlement from Scottish government, it remains important to reward our valued workforce appropriately.

“We urge our unions to reconsider their decision to reject the offer.

“We are disappointed that industrial action is being contemplated by our unions and concerned that it appears to be targeted at waste services, once again raising potential public health risks.”

She said the Scottish government respected the union’s role in seeking the best pay settlement and it remained committed to doing the best by its workforce.

Social Care Direct workers to strike

Senior Practitioners will take industrial action in a dispute over failure to deal with workers’ issues and imposition of changes

Unite members within Social Care Direct (Children’s Services) are set to strike from 16 to 18 April in a dispute about imposed changes at work, continued mistreatment from management and the failure to deal with issues raised by workers.

Read on to understand the impact and how you can help your colleagues in dispute:

Front door to social work

Social Care Direct is the ‘front door’ to social work for children and families in Edinburgh, therefore the strike will have a significant impact. However, the Council have chosen to ignore workers in this area, knowing that this would result in industrial action that creates risks.

The workers are long-standing council workers and senior professionals. They have dedicated their lives to protecting children’s welfare and are committed to safeguarding and helping families in Edinburgh. All along Unite members have been ready to engage with management to find a resolution. However, members have been forced to take action as a last resort as management refuse to take their concerns seriously or engage in a meaningful way.

How we got here

Unite members raised concerns in January 2023 and are still awaiting a response. All the while chances were impose on the service, without consulting with workers or including them in the process.

Unite members are welcoming of changes—in fact, have been calling for them for some time—but we are clear that all changes must be done with workers not to them.

All too familiar

The Council’s failures here come in the context of the Council having allegedly improved how they deal with employee concerns following the Tanner Inquiry and last year’s Stanyte vs Edinburgh Council employment tribunal, which ruled that the council failed to appropriately handle a grievance.

How you can support your colleagues

Donate to the strike fund to support striking Unite members.

School strikes to go ahead next week

UNISON Scotland has received a message of unwavering solidarity from Andrea Bradley, the General Secretary of the EIS Union.

In this message, she extends heartfelt support to our dedicated UNISON members within the Education sector who have taken a courageous stand for fair pay on behalf of all local government workers.

Highlighting the invaluable contributions of education workers to the growth and development of young minds and our society as a whole, Andrea Bradley emphasises the urgent need to address the undervaluation of their work:

Solidarity from EIS

“The EIS stands in full solidarity with UNISON members within Education who have been forced to take strike action in the just fight for fair pay.

Education is a vital public service within which workers are contributing massively to young people’s learning, care and development for the benefit of our whole society.

Yet we continue to see that work being undervalued by those who hold the purse-strings. All power to your members for their courage in standing up for themselves, their colleagues and their families… and for the future of Scottish Education. All school staff deserve to be paid fairly for the essential work that they do. No ifs, no buts, no maybes. Solidarity from the EIS!”

– Andrea Bradley, EIS General Secretary

COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann responded yesterday: “I am extremely disappointed with the news from UNISON today that not only are they recommending rejection of this half a billion pay package – they are putting our communities, especially our children and young people, through the turmoil and mayhem of strikes next week with their actions.

“We have met every ask of our Trade Union colleagues throughout these negotiations and this best and final offer was made on the basis that strikes would be suspended.

“We absolutely value all our Local Government Workforce and throughout these negotiations Council Leaders have re-iterated the value we place on the Workforce and the work that they do.

“It is totally unacceptable that with such a significant offer on the table that our Trade Union colleagues are putting our communities and our young people through the turmoil of strikes.

“It must be reiterated that we are talking about a pay package worth over £445 million, specifically targeted at the lower end of our workforce.  A pay package which not only compares well to other sectors but recognises the cost-of-living pressures on our workforce and which would mean the lowest paid would see an in-year uplift of over £2000 or just under 10%.  

“This would mean that a pupil support assistant currently earning £22,000 would receive a £2006 pay increase and a new salary of £24.000. This is an additional £748 from the offer in April.”

Your Pay: The Facts PDF (21/09/23)

Improved offer to schools workforce

COSLA tables increased offer with school strikes looming

Local government umbrella body COSLA has tabled an improved offer to unions in an attempt to avert school strikes.

Commenting on a revised offer which was sent to the Trade Unions yesterday (Wednesday) COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said:  “The reality of the situation is that as employers, Council Leaders have now made a strong offer even stronger.

“Council Leaders have listened to the workforce and then acted on what they heard by adding additional Council funds to get us to the position today where a revised offer can be made.

“We have also secured additional baseline funding from Scottish Government of £94 million, which will be built into the Scottish Government’s funding for Councils from next year, that ensures the viability and sustainability of this offer.

“This is an extremely strong offer which not only compares well to other sectors, but recognises the cost-of-living pressures on our workforce and which would mean the lowest paid would see a 21% increase in their pay over a two-year period.

“Councils value their workforce and this offer will support those workers during a cost of living crisis, whilst also protecting vital jobs and services. We hope that our Trade Union colleagues will give their membership the chance to consider this strong offer.”

Commenting on Cosla’s revised pay offer which was sent to unions last night, UNISON Scotland’s head of local government, Johanna Baxter said: ““UNISON Scotland’s local government committee will hold an emergency meeting first thing tomorrow (today, Thursday) and will go through the detail of Cosla’s revised offer and consider our position. UNISON will do everything we can to find a solution – we do not want to see mass school closures.

“However, we need to be convinced that this is a substantially improved offer. UNISON members in schools have voted in unprecedented numbers to take action and we have a mandate to call over 21,000 school staff out on strike over this – our members have clearly had enough. COSLA and the Scottish government need to make sure these workers are properly rewarded for their commitment and hard work.”

More than three quarters of Scotland’s schools face closure later this month in a dispute over pay, as UNISON announces strike dates. If it goes ahead the action will affect primary and secondary schools in 24 local authorities, with 76% of Scotland’s schools affected (1,868 schools).

UNISON, Scotland’s largest local government union, says more than 21,000 members will take part in the action over three days from Tuesday, 26 to Thursday, 28 September.

UNISON Scotland’s head of local government, Johanna Baxter said last week: “Going on strike is always a last resort – our members want to be in schools supporting children not on picket lines outside them.

“But they have been left with no option.  Local government workers overwhelmingly rejected COSLA’s below-inflation pay offer back in March and despite our repeated representations no improvement has been forthcoming.

“A real-terms pay cut in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis is a cut our members simply cannot afford.  This is not a highly-paid workforce – three quarters of local government workers earn less than the average Scottish wage.

“All they want is to be paid fairly for the vital work they do supporting Scotland’s communities – COSLA and the Scottish Government need to get back round the table and work with us to deliver that.”

Chair of UNISON Scotland’s local government committee, Mark Ferguson said last week: “Our members are steadfast in their resolve to fight for fair pay.  COSLA’s offer falls short of UNISON’s pay claim, it is also less than the offer made to the lowest paid local government staff south of the border.  

“No-one wants to see schools close but COSLA need to come back with a significantly improved pay offer very soon if strike action is to be avoided.  We remain committed to engaging in negotiations with COSLA and the Scottish Government at any point to try to resolve this dispute.”

COSLA has now came back with that new offer – but will this ‘even stronger’ offer be enough to avert looming industrial action?

BREAKING NEWS:

2pm: UNISON HAS REJECTED LATEST PAY OFFER – STRIKES GO AHEAD

EIS-FELA: Time running out to avert escalation of college lecturers dispute

The EIS has called on the Scottish Government and College Employers Scotland to take definitive action to ensure that college lecturers receive a fair and fully funded pay award.

College Employers Scotland have made clear to negotiators from the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) that their current offer would be funded through significant job losses across the publicly funded further education sector.

EIS-FELA members have been engaged in industrial action short of strike (ASOS), in the form of a resulting boycott and work to contract, since May 2023 and should have received their pay award one year ago.

Without an acceptable and fully funded offer, the EIS-FELA membership will escalate their industrial action campaign to include national and rolling strike action, alongside targeted strike action in the constituencies of key Scottish Government ministers, including the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education.

As politicians from the Scottish Government and all other parties at Holyrood return from the summer recess, EIS-FELA intends to take the campaign for a fully funded and fair pay award directly to parliament, with a rally planned outside the Scottish Parliament to coincide with the first FMQs of the new session.

College Employers Scotland have also this week refused a request made by the EIS to extend the current industrial action mandate. In the absence of such agreement from College Employers Scotland, the EIS has continued with the implementation of a national re-ballot for both action short of strike and strike action that has opened today (Thursday 31st August 2023).

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley, said, “Time is running out, on both the Scottish Government and College Employers Scotland, to avert the escalation of the crisis in Scotland’s colleges. No group of workers, least of all those in public sector institutions, should be told by their employers that they must sacrifice jobs to finance an already unacceptable pay offer.

“College Employers Scotland have yet to offer evidence that they have made clear to the Scottish Government that any acceptable pay award must be fully funded.

“The Scottish Government too must end its intransigence and avert this crisis by ensuring that no pay offer to hard working college lecturers is financed by job losses. EIS-FELA members are prepared to take substantial strike action, on top of action short of strike, in pursuit of a fully funded and fair pay award. They do so with the full backing of the EIS behind them.”

EIS-FELA President, Anne-Marie Harley, said, “College lecturers should have received a fair pay award a year ago and have been forced into the unacceptable situation of escalating their industrial action to a wide-ranging programme of strike action, including targeted strike action in the constituencies of Scottish Government ministers.

“We do so alongside a re-ballot of our members to ensure that we can continue this fight for fair pay for as long as it takes. EIS-FELA will never trade jobs for pay and both College Employers Scotland and the Scottish Government must act swiftly to avert strike action through providing a fully funded a fair pay award for college lecturers that does not result in job losses.”

A full programme of strike action is provided below:

  • Thursday 7th September: National strike Day.

Rolling Action Week One:

  • Monday 11th September: New College Lanarkshire and Orkney College.
  • Tuesday 12th September: Glasgow Clyde College and Sabhal Mor Ostaig.
  • Wednesday 13th September: Forth Valley College and UHI Moray.
  • Thursday 14th September: Glasgow Kelvin College and NESCoL.
  • Friday 15th September: Fife College and UHI North, West and Hebrides.

Rolling Action Week Two:

  • Monday 18th September: West College Scotland and Newbattle Abbey College.
  • Tuesday 19th September: UHI Argyle and Ayrshire College.
  • Wednesday 20th September: South Lanarkshire College and Shetland College.
  • Thursday 21st September: Dumfries & Galloway College and Dundee & Angus College.
  • Friday 22nd September: UHI Perth and Edinburgh College.

Rolling Action Week Three:

  • Monday 25th September: UHI Inverness and West Lothian College.
  • Tuesday 26th September: City of Glasgow College and Borders College.
  • Targeted Action: 2nd, 3rd and 4th October:
  • Glasgow Clyde College: First Minister’s constituency.
  • Fife College: Cabinet Secretary for Education’s constituency.
  • Dundee & Angus College: Deputy First Minister’s and Minister for FE’s constituency.