Local government pay: Scottish Government examining potential for improved offer as strikes loom

The Scottish Government has said it is examining the potential for improvements to this year’s 3.2% pay offer for council staff, with strikes set to start next week.

Cabinet secretary for finance and local government Shona Robison said she had asked officials to work with council officers “at pace” to “understand what an improved negotiating envelope may look like”.

Her statement came as the three unions – UNISON, Unite and the GMB – said that waste and street cleaning service staff across most of Scotland’s 32 councils would strike from 14-22 August unless a significantly better offer were tabled before then.

Though above the current rate of inflation – 2% in the year to June 2024, according to the UK government’s preferred measure – the offer is significantly down on both last year’s settlement and the deals being given to many public sector workers in England this year.

COSLA has argued that the offer is at the limits of affordability for authorities, prompting the unions, while planning strike action, to urge the body to seek further funding from the Scottish Government, an approach that bore fruit last year.

This led to talks last week between Robison, COSLA and the unions.

Government exploring potential for improved pay deal

Following the discussions, Robison said that, while the Scottish Government was not a party to the pay talks, it recognised the “importance of supporting meaningful dialogue to reach a fair pay deal and avoid industrial action”.

She said that the government was “navigating turbulent financial waters”.

“It is amid this extremely challenging landscape then, that I have asked my officials to work at pace with local government officers to understand what an improved negotiating envelope may look like,” Robison added. “I welcomed the willingness of COSLA and trade union leaders to engage constructively with that process.”

For COSLA, resources spokesperson Katie Hagmann said: “We welcomed the opportunity to jointly articulate the financial challenges facing local government in relation to meeting pay claims.”

However, she said she had reiterated to Robison “the very limited options available to local government, and that any solution needs to be both affordable and sustainable”.

Strikes will go ahead without imminent boost to offer – unions

The unions also described the talks as “positive” but said their members could not continue to wait for an improved offer and that, unless one were tabled imminently, the planned strikes by waste and street cleaning staff would go ahead.

“UNISON has been trying to get pay resolved since the beginning of the year and these government talks come too late to prevent strike notices being served,” said UNISON Scotland’s local government lead, David O’Connor.

“But at least we’re forcing employers and government to focus on trying to find a settlement.”

For GMB Scotland, senior organiser in public services, Keir Greenaway said: “The process has gone on too long with too little progress…Industrial action will start [on 14 August] unless ministers and local authorities identify the money needed to make an acceptable offer.”

Unite industrial officer Graham McNab added: “Unite stands ready to enter into meaningful negotiations at any time but our members need to see a significant shift in the coming days to avert strike action. Strike action is not yet inevitable but action from the politicians must be imminent.”