A statement from Unison Scottish Local Government Branch:
‘The results of our consultative ballot on COSLA’s latest pay offer are now in.
‘Our members have spoken loudly & clearly. We urge all parties to get back round the negotiating table with us to thrash out a deal to avoid further disruption in schools across Scotland.’
Councillor Katie Hagmann, COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson, said: “Obviously this ballot result from UNISON is very disappointing given the strength of the offer on the table.
“I would like to make the following points:
“Firstly, Scotland’s Council Leaders value their workforce.
“Secondly, we have listened to our Trade Unions, met all their asks and worked with Scottish Government to put an incredibly strong half a billion pound pay package on the table – which we hope the other trade union members will vote to accept.
“Finally, offering almost 10 per cent or a £2006 pay increase for our lowest paid workers, which the unions specifically asked for, and £1929 or at least 5.5% for everyone else is as far as Local Government can go without impacting service and jobs.”
COSLA offer condemned as ‘far too little, far too late’
School strikes likely to go aheadthis month
UNISON Scotland’s local government committee met yesterday morning (Thursday) and have voted unanimously to reject Cosla’s revised offer outright, which was sent to the union on Wednesday evening.
The union say that unless a significantly improved offer is received by 5pm on Wednesday (September 20th), schools strikes planned for September 26th 27th and 28th will go ahead.
UNISON have written to Cosla to say that “the revision is miniscule and as a result the unanimous decision of our committee is that we reject this offer outright and proceed with strike action on the dates already notified.”
The letter to Cosla points out that the revised offer represents an increase on the previous offer of only 0.17%. For those on the lowest pay the revised offer represents an increase of only £0.01 per hour, effective from 1st Jan 2024. Those working full-time and earning £25K or above are being offered no increase on the previous offer, which has already been rejected.
UNISON Scotland head of local government, Johanna Baxter said: “It is deeply disappointing that it has taken COSLA five months since our members rejected the initial offer to present such insignificant changes.
“We have made very clear that COSLA must put forward a significantly improved offer to avert mass school strikes. Members of our Local Government Committee this morning described this offer as insulting.
“It is staggering that COSLA have still not approached, and continue to refuse to approach, the Scottish Government for additional funding to make a meaningful improvement to the pay offer.
“Given the state of local authority budgets we believe this to be a dereliction of the duty to stand up for local government and fight for the funding needed to both properly reward the local government workforce and keep our public services running.”
UNISON Scotland chair of UNISON Scotland local government committee, Mark Ferguson said: “The strike mandate we have is the strongest show of strength by our members in decades – their resolve to fight for the decent pay rise they, and all their colleagues across local government, so richly deserve is clear.”
GMB Scotland rejects latest council pay offer as school staff prepare to strike
GMB Scotland has rejected the latest pay offer to council workers and warned time is running out to avert strikes threatening to disrupt schools this month.
The offer from Cosla, representing local authorities, was dismissed as “far too little, far too late” to avert three days of strike action by support staff in schools and early years education.
The union, which represents more than 21,000 workers across Scotland’s 32 councils, said strikes involving cleaning, janitorial, catering and pupil support will now go ahead without a revised offer and urged ministers to intervene.
Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, said: “The latest offer is no significant improvement on the previous offer that was overwhelmingly rejected.
“Strike action is not something our members ever take lightly but, after a long, frustrating process, they have been left with no choice.
“This offer, like the previous offer, does not come close to maintaining the value of their wages as prices rise. It is far too little and far too late.
“Why should local authority workers in Scotland be offered less than in England? Why should they be asked to accept the unacceptable?
“If Cosla does not have the resource or the will to properly protect the wages of some of the country’s most important workers then the Scottish Government needs to intervene and intervene urgently.”
Members of GMB Scotland and sister trade union UNISON plan to strike in schools in most council areas in a fortnight on Tuesday 26th of September and the following two days.
Earlier this month, the union suspended strike action planned in schools across Scotland to agree concerted action with the other unions.
Industrial action involving school staff not including teachers was suspended in Aberdeen, Clackmannanshire, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Orkney, Renfrewshire and South Ayrshire.
UNITE is still to announce a decision on the COSLA pay offer but it’s members are also likely to reject the deal.
COSLA RESPONSE ON REVISED PAY OFFER REJECTION
COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann responded yesterday: “I am doubly disappointed today, firstly with the rejection itself, but perhaps more importantly, with the fact that they did not take the revised offer to their membership for consideration.
“We have continued to conduct these negotiations in good faith and kept communication channels open at all times.
“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.
“That is why we enhanced an already strong offer yesterday, with Council Leaders going to the absolute limits of what Local Government can afford. The simple fact of the matter is that we have no more money available for pay without real cuts to jobs and services.
“It must be remembered that we are talking about a pay package worth over £440 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 a 21% increase in their pay over a two-year period.
“Whichever way you cut it, this is a very strong offer in the financial climate we find ourselves. We have a duty to ensure that services are sustainable within the funding for pay we have available.
“I am disappointed with today’s rejection . However, we will continue to engage as positively as we can with the Trade Unions as strike action is in nobody’s interests.”
A special meeting of the EIS Salaries Committee, held online today, has unanimously rejected the latest revised pay offer from the Scottish Government and COSLA.
The new offer, announced in the media yesterday before it was given to teaching unions, offers only a marginal improvement on previously rejected offers. As a result, the EIS will reject the offer and continue with its current programme of strike action until a more credible offer is put onto negotiating table.
Commenting this afternoon, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “This is another inadequate offer to Scotland’s teachers, which was unanimously rejected by the EIS Salaries Committee earlier today.
“The 6% value of the offer for 2022-23 is insufficient, with CPI inflation currently sitting today at 10.5%. The 6% offer for this year is only 1% less of a pay cut than that previously offered, twice, by the Scottish Government and COSLA.
“Teachers have already lost more than 1% of their salaries through being forced into strike action so, essentially, teachers already more than paid for this revised offer themselves. This is just yet more smoke and mirrors from the Scottish Government and COSLA in attempting to make this offer appear more generous than it actually is.”
Ms Bradley continued, “The suggested year two component of 5.5% hasn’t been negotiated via the appropriate forum, the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), at all. Indeed, teaching unions haven’t even submitted our pay claim for 2023/24 yet, as a consequence of the current dispute.
“In attempting to tag on next year’s pay settlement, without any negotiation at all, the Scottish Government and COSLA are attempting to tie the hands not just of teacher trade unions but all public sector unions – and this is unacceptable to the EIS.”
Ms Bradley added, “The conduct of the Scottish Government and COSLA in this process has been equally unacceptable. From dragging the process out interminably, to seeking to create divisions both between different grades of teachers and different groups of workers, to seeking to bypass the agreed negotiating processes and sharing information on pay offers with the media before sharing them with the trade unions representing teachers – these have not been good-faith actions.
“Their emphasis throughout has been on spin rather than genuine attempts to reach an agreed pay settlement through proper negotiation.”
Ms Bradley went on to add, “As a result of the clear decision to reject this offer, taken by our Salaries Committee today, our Executive Committee has also unanimously agreed that the current programme of strike action will continue as scheduled.
“The EIS remains, as ever, willing and available to engage in further discussions with both the Scottish Government and COSLA, through the appropriate forum within the SNCT, to attempt to reach a resolution to this dispute.”
The EIS has emailed its members this afternoon, advising on the decisions to reject the offer and continue with strike action and the reasoning behind those decisions.
