SUMMER STRIKES LOOMING
Council and school workers in Scotland belonging to UNISON have voted overwhelmingly to reject a pay offer from local government employers, says the union today (Friday).
Thousands of staff employed by councils indicated they were unhappy with the pay proposal put forward by COSLA with 91% of those balloted choosing to reject, UNISON says.
The workers were made a two-stage offer which would operate over an 18-month period. It gives a 2.2% increase for the first six months and an additional 2% for a further 12 months of the deal, ending in September next year.
UNISON will now begin the process of formally balloting groups of workers about selective strike action over the coming weeks.
UNISON Scotland local government committee chair Colette Hunter said: “This result must be a wake-up call for COSLA that council workers need to be fairly rewarded for the essential services they provide. Staff have experienced years of cuts to their pay levels and a reversal has to begin.
“The last thing anyone wants to do is go on strike, but local government workers deserve a fair increase to stop their pay lagging further behind inflation, and the wage increases being given to other sectors of the economy.
“Workers have seen the value of their pay fall over the past ten years, often while being asked to do even more. They provide vital services to their communities by caring for the most vulnerable, educating children, waste and recycling and keeping people safe. Council workers deserve better.”