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.”
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIONS SET FOR SUMMER STRIKE ACTION
COSLA wrote to the Scottish Joint Council (SJC) Trade Unions with a formal pay offer for Scotland’s Local Authority workforce on Thursday – but their ‘strong, fair and credible’ offer has been firmly rebuffed by trade unions representing council workers.
Making the formal offer, COSLA said in a statement: “Following a number of very constructive SJC Steering Group negotiating meetings in recent weeks, COSLA has today (23rd May) written to the Scottish Joint Council (SJC) Trade Unions with a formal pay offer for the SJC Local Government workforce. “
This offer is for a settlement which runs for an 18-month period of 1st April 2024 to 30th September 2025. There will be a 2.2% uplift from 1st April, with a further 2% uplift taking effect from 1 October. This therefore includes a change in the settlement date to 1 October.
“This offer fully utilises the negotiating mandate provided by COSLA Leaders and is at the limit of affordability, given the severe financial constraints councils are facing in the context of a flat cash Local Government settlement.
“We believe that this is a strong, fair, and credible offer which reflects the high value council Leaders place on the Local Government workforce and the invaluable work they do every day to serve our communities.”
The May 2024 pay offer to SJC Unions explained
COSLA’s offer to SJC Trade Unions on 23rd May 2024 is detailed in the bullet points below:
A 2.2% increase from 1 April 2024
Further 2% increase from 1 October 2024
Change settlement date to 1 October
Agree to develop negotiation protocol
This offer covers 1 April 2024 – 30 September 2025.
A STRONG, FAIR and CREDIBLE OFFER? NO, SAY UNIONS …
Unite rejects outright COSLA pay offer
Union now moving “full steam ahead” for Summer strike action
Unite the union has confirmed that its representative committee for local government workers have rejected outright the COSLA pay offer.
The offer comprises 2.2 per cent effective from 1 April to 30 September, and then two per cent for a 12-month period effective from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.
Unite rejected the offer, and the proposal to change the pay anniversary date from April to October on the basis that it is nothing but an attempt to “kick the can down the road”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:“COSLA has taken months to put a formal pay offer to our local government membership, and it’s a derisory one at that.”
“Unite’s representatives rightly rejected this offer outright. The fight for better jobs, pay and conditions in local government will continue. We are clear that our members shouldn’t settle for anything that doesn’t come close to meeting their demands.”
Unite has confirmed that it is actively preparing to ballot key groups of its local government membership across Scotland.
Unite will announce the details of the industrial action ballot next week as it issued a warning to COSLA and the Scottish government that the union is moving “full steam ahead” towards industrial action this summer period.
Graham McNab, Unite industrial officer, added:“The pay offer doesn’t come close to meeting the aspirations of our members in local government. Unite also opposes the pay anniversary date being moved to October as nothing but a cynical attempt to kick the can down the road.”
“Politicians pretend the cost of living crisis has gone away but that just isn’t the reality for the vast majority of workers in local government who have endured years of low pay, chronic underfunding and record rates of inflation”.
“Unite is moving full steam ahead towards industrial action this summer unless COSLA makes a significantly improved pay offer.”
Pay offer to council workers is too low and should be rejected, says UNISON
Local government staff in Scotland are worth more than the pay increase they’ve been offered, UNISON said on Thursday.
The union is to consult thousands of council workers across Scotland over a pay offer which was made on Thursday, with a recommendation they vote to reject it.
UNISON is calling for an improvement to pay that fairly rewards council staff for the essential services they provide and starts to reverse years of pay cuts they have experienced.
Employer organisation Cosla has made a two-stage offer which runs for 18 months, which 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.
Chair of UNISON Scotland’s local government committee, Colette Hunter said: “The offer falls short of the level local government workers deserve and the union is recommending staff vote to reject it when they are consulted next week.
“Workers have seen the value of their pay fall over the past ten years, while often 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 need a pay rise that reflects this.”
GMB Scotland dismisses council pay offer as too late and too low
GMB Scotland has also rejected Cosla’s pay offer to council workers.
The union, one of the biggest in Scotland’s public sector, branded the offer too late and too low, and warned of looming industrial action.
GMB’s 20,000 members in Scots councils have already voted overwhelmingly in a consultative ballot to back industrial action if there was no acceptable offer and a formal ballot of care workers is already underway with more planned.
Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, confirmed the union’s local government committee rejected the offer at a meeting this afternoon.
He said: “The offer to Scotland’s council workers is too late and too low. The delay was unacceptable and the offer is unacceptable.
“It means council workers in Scotland being offered less than colleagues in England and Wales and it raises grave concerns about councils’ promise to pay all workers £15 an hour by 2026.
“This offer comes nowhere close to matching that commitment.
“We do not need any more empty promises and excuses. We need a pay offer that fairly reflects the crucial work being done by our members in local authorities delivering the frontline services that Scotland is built on.
“Inflation might be slowing but bills continue to rise and workers and their families are still being crushed by the cost of living.
“Our members in social care are among the lowest paid council workers delivering some of the most important frontline services.
“They deserve better than this. So do their colleagues and so does every Scot relying on them to deliver the services Scotland is built on.”
RCN Scotland planning for strike action in the NHS continues after members in Scotland rejected a revised NHS pay offer. The union will announce dates for strike action early in the New Year.
An overwhelming 82% of members who voted rejected the offer in the consultative ballot which closed at midday on Monday.
Commenting on the result, Julie Lamberth, RCN Scotland Board Chair, said: “It was the right thing to ask our members whether to accept or reject this offer.
“It directly affects their lives and each eligible member needed to be given the chance to have their say. And the result could not be clearer – we have forcefully rejected what the Scottish government said is its ‘best and final’ offer.
“Make no mistake – we do not want to go on strike. Years of being undervalued and understaffed have left us feeling we have no alternative because enough is enough. The ball is in Scottish government’s court if strike action is going to be avoided.
“Members can be reassured that planning for strike action will be thorough. The safety of patients and of our members are paramount and we will be working hard to ensure that while any strike action is disruptive, it does not put patients or our members at risk.
“I would urge members to make sure their membership details with the RCN are fully up to date, including place of employment and name of employer. That way you will be able to continue to receive important updates from the RCN.”
UNISON, the largest union in local government, met yesterday to discuss COSLA’s latest 3.5% pay offer. The union unanimously agreed to reject this revised offer outright and voted overwhelmingly to continue with their strike plans in councils across Scotland.
UNISON rejected the offer as it has not sufficiently improved, falls far short of the Joint Trade Union’s claim (submitted in January) and falls far short of the current rate of inflation, which continues to rise.
The union also made the point that the offer falls far short of the offer made to council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have been offered a £1925 flat rate uplift, which equates to a 10.5% increase for those on the lowest wages.
Johanna Baxter, UNISON head of local government said:“This is another derisory pay offer. We are in a ridiculous position of both our employers and the Scottish Government agreeing this 3.5% pay offer is not nearly enough, but both are at logger heads about who should pay for it.
“Meanwhile council workers – over half earn less than £25k per year – are worrying about paying the bills. Inflation is predicted to rise to 13.5% and our members are offered a real-terms pay cut which will plunge more of them into debt.
“We have written to COSLA to tell them the strike continues in waste and recycling and we will confirm dates for strike action in schools and early years in the coming days.”
The City of Edinburgh Council has tweeted: ‘We’re expecting significant disruption to bin collections and street cleaning services due to strike action from Thursday 18 – Tuesday 30 August.
Thousands of council workers across Scotland have voted to take industrial action which will disrupt schools, early years centres, nurseries and waste and recycling centres across Scotland.
In the largest strike ballot amongst council workers in over a decade, UNISON members in all councils across Scotland overwhelmingly voted to reject the COSLA final pay offer of 2% with nine local authority branches exceeding the required 50% turnout threshold required by the Trade Union Act.
Johanna Baxter, UNISON head of local government said:“COSLA leaders meet on Friday and must put an improved offer on the table if we are to avoid large-scale disruption to council services across Scotland.
“Council workers south of the border yesterday were offered a flat rate uplift of £1925, which for those on the lowest pay equates to a 10.5% increase. You have to wonder why council workers north of the border have only been offered a measly 2% increase when the cost of living continues to spiral. UNISON have been calling for a flat rate payment to help those on lower incomes. Most council workers earn less than £25k per year.
“It is clear now that local government workers have had enough and are prepared to strike in the coming weeks unless we see a sensible offer, from COSLA, on the table on Friday.
“This is the largest strike ballot by local government workers in over a decade and the first-time workers across Scotland have voted to take strike action in these numbers. It really shouldn’t take this for them to receive the recognition, respect and reward that they deserve.”
School support staff and refuse workers moved “a step closer” to industrial action yesterday after GMB members rejected COSLA’s latest pay offer.
95 per cent of members who participated in the union’s consultative ballot over the 2021 offer voted to reject an £850 increase for local government staff earning up to £25,000 a year.
The union will now move to a full industrial action ballot of nearly 10,000 members employed in schools and local refuse and cleansing services, increasing the possibility of autumn strikes.
GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Drew Duffy said:“COSLA bosses have failed to table to a pay offer that reflects decent value for many workers who have been part of the frontline response to COVID-19.
“The prospect of an increase that would amount to little more than £15 a week extra in the pockets of workers like school cleaners and refuse collectors has been rightly and resoundingly rejected.
“COSLA’s dither and delay means local government staff across Scotland are still mired on pre-pandemic pay rates – there has been no “thank you” for these workers.
“It means the threat of strikes this autumn, disrupting schools and community services like waste collection and street cleansing, is now a step closer.”
GMB members across Scottish Local Government have overwhelmingly rejected the Scottish Government’s £800 increase for staff earning under £25,000 a year, sending a clear message to politicians and employers: “We’re worth more.”
Following the close of the union’s consultative ballot, 93 per cent of members voted to reject the offer tabled by the Finance Secretary Kate Forbes in the recent Scottish Budget, increasing the prospect of significant industrial action across local services this summer.
GMB, which represents 20,000 local government workers, pre-dominantly in services like home care, refuse, school support, and roads and maintenance, will now write to the First Minister and COSLA leaders to call for fresh negotiations and a significantly improved offer.
GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Drew Duffy said: “This is a clear demonstration from key workers across Scottish local government that Kate Forbes’ valuation of their efforts isn’t anywhere near good enough.
“It’s been a wretched year and a desperate decade for council workers, especially the lowest paid and the services they deliver. Home carers, refuse workers, and school support staff have got on with the job for all of us despite being failed on PPE, testing and safe working guidelines. Furthermore, they did this after years of political austerity, which cut their pay in real-terms and gutted their services.
“After the applause and all the political platitudes, to recognise their dedication and sacrifice with an increase that won’t amount to much more than £10 a week for many staff is derisory, and the message to Ministers, politicians on the election trail, and councils is clear: “We’re worth more.””
