Scottish council staff to strike over pay

Thousands of local government workers in Scotland will walk out on 20 August in a 24-hour strike over pay.

More than 125,000 council staff, including at least 50,000 social care workers, will strike after members of Unison, GMB and Unite voted in favour of industrial action.

In a ballot of 100,000 Unison members, 70% voted in favour of striking, with 74% of GMB Scotland’s 25,000 members following suit.

Offer

Employers are offering 2.5% a year for each of the next three years, but the three unions are bidding for 5% or £1,000 a year, whichever is higher, at a time when retail price index inflation is running at 4.6%.

Unison’s lead negotiator, Dougie Black, said the union would be working with councils in Scotland to ensure “life and limb cover” was available where necessary for services such as care homes and looked-after children.

“It’s clearly not our intention to place vulnerable people at risk,” he said.

Insult

However, he added: “Many of our social care staff are paid between £6 and £6.50 an hour, and the offer will only result in an increase of 15p an hour. This is an insult.”

A spokesperson for employers group Cosla said: “We will seek to ensure local agreements that protection will be in place for vulnerable people who depend on local services.”

Related articles

Council employers to meet unions ‘but pay offer is final’

External information

Unison Scotland

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities