Unions in talks with Scottish Government as strikes announced across Scotland
Today we served notice to 18 councils that Unite members in Waste and Cleansing, and other services, will strike in 18 councils for 8 days from 14 August.
Strike action is set to begin at 5am on Wednesday 14 August and end at 4:59am on Thursday 22 August at the following 18 councils:
- Aberdeen City Council
- Aberdeenshire Council
- Angus Council
- City of Edinburgh Council
- Dumfries & Galloway Council
- Dundee City Council
- East Ayrshire Council
- East Renfrewshire Council
- Falkirk Council
- Fife Council
- Glasgow City Council
- Inverclyde Council
- North Ayrshire Council
- North Lanarkshire Council
- Renfrewshire Council
- South Ayrshire Council
- The Highland Council
- West Lothian Council.
In Edinburgh
In Edinburgh, all Unite and GMB members in Waste and Cleansing will strike. Unite members in Fleet Services will also strike. Unison’s reballot in Waste and Cleansing opened on 26 July, so results are awaited – this does not impact the timetable of the strike action.
On 24 July, Unison began balloting members across the country in schools, early years and family centres, to prepare for a second wave of strike action if needed. Their ballot closes on 29 August.
Unite local government committee will soon meet to discuss balloting these areas.
Talks with the Scottish Government
Yesterday, Unite officials, including your branch secretary Brian Robertson, and those from Unison and GMB, held ‘positive talks’ with Shona Robison MSP, cabinet secretary for finance and local government and COSLA. Unite warned, however, that a new ‘credible offer’ must be tabled ‘imminently’ and said it would not suspend its scheduled strike action until that occurs.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
Thousands of Unite members will take strike action next month unless there is a new credible pay offer put on the table.
Our membership has waited months for an offer which reflects their professionalism and the dedication which they put into delivering vital local services.
Scottish council workers offered less
The current COSLA pay offer amounts to a 3.2% increase for a one-year period between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
Unite has said the pay offer ‘grossly undervalues’ Scottish council workers in contrast with the offer made to UK counterparts.
An offer of £1,290 has been made to council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the National Joint Council (NJC). This equates to a rise of 67 pence per hour or 5.2% for a council worker earning around £25,000 based on a 37-hour week.
Members should note that Unite members south of the border rejected this offer.
In contrast, the COSLA offer of 3.2% equates to £800 or a 41 pence per hour increase. The pay offer difference means that a Scottish council worker would need to earn above £40,000 to match the offer being made to council workers across the UK. This means the lowest paid council workers are being disproportionately hit by COSLA’s current pay offer.
Graham McNab, Unite industrial officer, 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.
There is a window of opportunity to resolve this dispute but the politicians should be under no illusions that our members will take strike action if necessary to secure the pay offer which they deserve.
Get strike ready!
Strikers, read this guide for when you’re on strike.
Colleagues, read this guide to when others are on strike.
Everyone, remember that this strike is
- across Scotland
- caused by the Scottish Government underfunding councils for over a decade
- for the Scottish Government to fix by stepping in to provide funding
- a fight to save council services, end the recruitment and retention crisis and ensure council workers can continue to do their essential work for communities.