COSLA pay offer to council staff at ‘limit of affordability’

Scottish local government body COSLA has issued a pay offer to council staff for 2024-25 that it says is at the “limit of affordability”.

Under the proposal, social workers and other Scottish local authority staff would receive a 2.2% pay rise backdated to April 2024 and a further 2% in October this year, extending until 30 September 2025.

The offer would mean that workers’ salaries would be about 4.2% higher than now after the second part of the offer were introduced.

According to the Scottish Government, its £14bn settlement for the country’s 32 local authorities in 2024-25 represents a 2.5% rise in real terms.

But COSLA rejects this interpretation, saying that authorities had been given a “flat cash settlement”, amounting to a cut in real terms.

The council body said the pay offer was “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,” it added.

However, this was rejected by the biggest of the three local government unions, UNISON, which urged its members to reject an offer it described as “too low” and falling short of what council staff deserved.

“Workers have seen the value of their pay fall over the past ten years, while often being asked to do even more,” said Colette Hunter, chair of UNISON Scotland’s local government committee. “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.”

A consultation of UNISON members on the offer starts this week.

Meanwhile, fellow union Unite has rejected the offer and said that it would ballot members working in cleansing and waste services in 29 of Scotland’s 32 councils on taking industrial action.

“Unite has now served industrial action notices to nearly every council in Scotland,” said industrial officer Graham McNabb.

“If the ballots are successful, then our members in cleansing and waste services could begin strike action from July.

“Let’s be clear that COSLA and the Scottish Government must come back to us with a significantly revised pay offer, if they do not, then our members will have no option but to take action.”