Tag: pay offer rejected

Scottish nurses reject pay offer

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: Council strikes go ahead following ‘derisory’ pay offer

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.

Find the latest updates and information on how this will affect you & what to do on our website http://edinburgh.gov.uk/binstrike

Local government workers vote for strikes across Scotland

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.”

Strike threat facing schools and cleansing as GMB members reject latest COSLA pay offer

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 overwhelmingly reject ‘derisory’ local government pay offer

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.””