71% of members accept offer—now over to COSLA
Unite the Union and the GMB members have now accepted COSLA’s pay offer of an increase of 67p per hour or 3.6% whichever is greater. This gives the lowest paid workers (more than half the workforce) almost £1,300 extra a year (using a full-time equivalent, before deductions) and amounts to an average 4.27% rise.
We are now calling on COSLA to put the offer into place immediately. The members have spoken and need answers.
Sharon Graham, Unite General Secretary, said
It was down to our members’ guts and determination that an improved pay offer was finally put on the table which will now help to deliver better jobs, pay and conditions for workers across all Scottish councils.
Graham McNab, Unite’s lead negotiator for local government, said
Time and again we end up in a summer farce over council pay. Unite wants council pay resolved at a far earlier stage in the process. It should not take until the cusp of strike action for COSLA and the Scottish government to come up with a fair pay offer.
What happens next?
Unite and GMB have accepted the offer and Unison have rejected it. So what happens now?
Unison’s industrial action ballot in schools and early years centres resulted in a strike mandate for members in:
- Angus
- East Renfrewshire
- Orkney Islands
- Perth & Kinross Council
- Shetland Islands.
Unison still has a strike mandate for Waste and Cleansing workers in:
- Clackmannanshire Council
- Dumfries & Galloway Council
- East Ayrshire Council
- East Lothian Council
- Fife contractors
- Glasgow City Council
- Inverclyde Council
- Midlothian Council
- North Lanarkshire Council
- Perth & Kinross Council
- South Lanarkshire Council
- Stirling Council
- West Lothian Council
COSLA need to decide whether they will implement the pay offer, despite Unison’s rejection, or if enter into talks with unions to improve the offer.
COSLA and the Scottish Government have both stated publicly that no more money will be available, leading to uncertainty over what may be achieved.
The COSLA response so far is to publish an explanatory document on the offer . This actually is a reasoned analysis from the employer.
Unite has made clear that our members agreed to accept the pay offer, as made by COSLA, and any attempt to diminish, re-configure or unduly withhold implementation could be interpreted as a breach of that agreement.
Unite mandates for Industrial Action remain in place in councils across Scotland, including Edinburgh.
Unite and GMB are calling on COSLA to implement the offer now, our members have voted, now give us our pay without delay!