Council workers to be balloted in pay row
More than three quarters of Unison members rejected a pay offer
Members of Scotland's largest trade union will be balloted on industrial action in a dispute over local government pay.
Unison plans to ballot 70,000 members across every local authority in Scotland following a consultative vote in which 77.6% rejected the employers' pay offer.
Unison plans to ballot 70,000 members across every local authority in Scotland following a consultative vote in which 77.6% rejected the employers' pay offer.
The move comes after two other unions representing local government workers voted overwhelmingly to accept a pay offer from local government body Cosla of a 1% increase for those earning above £35,000 and a flat rate payment of £350 for employees earning below that threshold.
Around 82% of Unite members working for local councils who took part in a consultative ballot accepted the deal and a majority of GMB Scotland members (69%) were also in favour.
Unite noted that for a worker earning £16,000, the payment would be the equivalent of a pay rise of 2.19%.
Unison called on members to reject the offer and has campaigned for a flat rate payment of £1,000 for all employees, the continued uprating of the Scottish Local Government Living Wage, and a future pay strategy to "identify and redress the imbalance caused by previous pay awards below the rate of inflation''.
Dougie Black, regional organiser for Unison Scotland, said: "Local government workers have suffered years of pay restraint and their pay is worth far less now than 10 years ago. The cost of food, gas and electricity, travel and childcare continue to rise and, as a consequence, their living standards have been severely eroded. This cannot continue.
"If pay had even just risen with inflation, a home care worker, for example, would be paid £19,900 a year when instead they are paid just £16,900" - Dougie Black, Unison
"If pay had even just risen with inflation, a home care worker, for example, would be paid £19,900 a year when instead they are paid just £16,900; an early years' worker would receive £24,100 instead of £20,400; and a library assistant would earn £26,400 instead of £22,400. And that's just to keep up with the cost of living.
"Fair pay remains a priority for Unison. Our members are the cogs that keep local government services turning and they deserve to be treated fairly.''
A Cosla spokeswoman said: "We understand that the role of any trade union is to get the best possible outcome for its members, we totally get that.
"That's why we are baffled and extremely disappointed with the Unison rejection of what is without question the best package on offer to any local government workforce in the UK.
"Sometimes it's important in life to know when you have achieved your objective and clearly GMB and Unite members recognise this and voted overwhelmingly to accept the deal. Unison should do likewise.''