COSLA | LocalGov


Scottish Government to consult on council tax reform 11/02/2025 The Scottish Government has announced plans to review the devolved nation’s council tax system to make it ‘fairer’.
Scottish council chiefs call for help with NI hike 07/01/2025 Scottish council leaders have called on the Government to cover the costs the public and charity sectors are facing from the rise in national insurance.
Council chiefs in Scotland call for £872m in capital funding 02/12/2024 Local authority leaders in Scotland have called on the Scottish Government to provide councils with £872m in capital funding in 2025/26.
Scottish councils call for National Insurance rise funding 11/11/2024 The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has called on Holyrood to pass on Whitehall cash due from changes to employers' National Insurance Contributions.
COSLA: Council leaders offer to ‘supplement’ pay offer 08/11/2024 Local authority leaders in Scotland have offered to ‘supplement and enhance’ the latest pay offer to trade unions to prevent further strikes.
Council leaders withdraw support for social care bill 30/09/2024 Local authority leaders in Scotland have withdrawn their support for the Scottish Government’s flagship social care reform bill.
Union threatens strike action after pay award decision 27/09/2024 Local authority leaders in Scotland have decided to impose a wage rise prompting UNISON to threaten strike action.
Council worker pay strike suspended 13/08/2024 A strike over pay that was set to hit Scotland this week has been suspended after council leaders made a new offer.
COSLA offers 3.2% pay uplift 18/07/2024 Local government employers in Scotland have made a new pay offer in an effort to resolve the ongoing pay dispute.
Bin strikes could hit Edinburgh Fringe Festival, union says 02/07/2024 Waste and recycling workers in Scotland have voted to go on strike during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of an ongoing pay dispute.
UNISON: Over 90% of council workers reject pay offer 17/06/2024 Thousands of council workers in Scotland have voted overwhelmingly to reject a pay offer from local government employers.
Unite warns of strike action in escalating pay dispute 29/05/2024 Unite has served industrial action notices to 29 councils in the escalating pay dispute between local government employers and employees in Scotland.
Scottish councils criticise ‘excessive’ tourism tax delay 28/05/2024 Local authority leaders across Scotland have called on Holyrood to accelerate plans to empower them to charge visitors for overnight stays.
COSLA makes 2.2% pay offer 24/05/2024 Local authority employees in Scotland have been offered a 2.2% pay increase from 1 April.
Scottish councils face £585m funding gap 14/05/2024 Council leaders across Scotland have called on Holyrood to find a ‘meaningful solution’ to the half a billion pound shortfall faced by local government.
UNISON: Council employers ‘miles away’ from acceptable pay offer 13/05/2024 Local authority workers in Scotland are considering strike action because ‘employers are miles away from offering anything staff are likely to accept’.
National care service overhaul fails to charm councils 28/02/2024 Councils in Scotland remain unconvinced by proposals to create a national care service.
Scottish Budget 'not good' for communities 28/02/2024 Next year’s Scottish Budget is ‘not good’ for communities, council leaders have said.
Council rejects tax freeze offer 23/02/2024 Argyll and Bute Council has become the first to reject the Scottish Government’s council tax freeze.
Council leaders demand right to set tax levels 26/01/2024 Local authority leaders in Scotland have renewed their fight to set their own council taxes – despite the pledge of a freeze by first minister Humza Yousaf.
Scottish councils face ‘difficult decisions’ on cuts 16/01/2024 ‘Intensifying pressures’ on Scottish local authorities mean they must make difficult decisions on service delivery to remain financially sustainable, a watchdog has said.
Scottish budget ‘missed opportunity’ for reform 03/01/2024 The Scottish budget is a ‘missed opportunity’ for delivering on public service reform, local authority leaders in Scotland have told Holyrood.
Council tax freeze to cost £156m 02/01/2024 Scottish councils face a real terms cut of up to £156m next year as a result of the council tax freeze, new research has found.
Scottish councils get £14bn boost 19/12/2023 Local government in Scotland is set to benefit from a £14bn boost but council tax will be frozen despite criticisms of the plan by local authority leaders.
COSLA ramps up Budget lobbying 04/12/2023 Well-funded councils are the key to unlocking the potential within Scotland’s communities, town hall leaders have claimed ahead of the country’s budget.
Unison members accept ‘long overdue’ pay offer 27/11/2023 Council chiefs in Scotland have welcomed a decision by Unison members to accept the latest offer in a long running pay dispute.
New offer in pay dispute 03/11/2023 More money has been offered in the hope of averting strike action by Scottish Unison members.
School staff strike amid pay dispute 01/11/2023 Schools in parts of Scotland were closed on Wednesday as non-teaching staff went on strike in an ongoing dispute over local government pay.
‘No agreement’ with Scottish councils to freeze council tax 18/10/2023 The decision to freeze council tax across Scotland was made ‘completely without reference to local government’, according to council bosses.
Unison rejects Scotland’s 10% pay offer 16/10/2023 Unison members in Scotland today rejected local government employers’ latest pay deal, which would have seen the lowest-paid staff receive a 10% wage boost.
Unite suspends strike 22/09/2023 The trade union Unite has suspended a planned three-day strike across education and local government in Scotland after receiving a ‘serious’ pay offer from employers.
Calls to scrap council tax hike as consultation closes 20/09/2023 Councils should have complete control over their local tax, thinktank Reform Scotland has said in response to plans to increase council tax across Scotland.
Unions reject latest COSLA offer 14/09/2023 The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has warned trade unions face a choice between ‘real cuts to jobs and services’ and increased pay.
Thousands of education workers vote to strike in Scotland 07/08/2023 Thousands of workers in education and early years services across 10 local authority areas in Scotland have voted to go on strike.
COSLA and Holyrood strike 'landmark' deal 03/07/2023 A pledge for greater fiscal control for councils has been made in a ‘landmark agreement’ between national and local government in Scotland.
Care homes 'at risk of closure' 25/05/2023 Care homes in Scotland have warned they are at risk of closure as they rejected a 6% fee increase from councils.
Scottish councils ‘uniquely placed’ to assist reform 17/05/2023 Councils are well-placed to deliver the key aims of Scotland’s government – such as tackling child poverty and net zero – but need funding, experts warn.
'Widespread industrial action' warning 10/05/2023 Unite has warned the Scottish Government and employers there ‘could be widespread industrial action’ without a ‘significant increase’ to the current pay offer.
Scottish council leaders and police strengthen collaboration 18/04/2023 Local authority leaders in Scotland have agreed four key priority areas to strengthen collaboration between local government and policing.
COSLA announces new chief executive 27/03/2023 The national association of Scottish councils today announced a new chief executive.
Grievance forces Scottish councils to increase pay for chiefs 03/03/2023 Scottish councils have been forced to axe the pay cap on chief executives after a successful grievance was raised.
Scottish council chiefs warn care reforms could cost 75,000 jobs 12/10/2022 Local authority leaders and unions in Scotland today joined forces to oppose plans to centralise the delivery of care, which they argue could cost 75,000 jobs.
Scottish council workers consider 7.5% pay offer 05/09/2022 Strikes that would have affected schools and waste services across a number of council areas in Scotland have been suspended as workers consider pay offer.
Scottish councils pledge to deploy staff and capacity to social care services 13/01/2022 Scottish councils have warned some services may be paused or reduced in order to protect critical social care services.
Call to pay councillors the Real Living Wage 10/01/2022 Cosla has called for councillors to be paid the Real Living Wage of £9.90 per hour as a minimum.
Scottish settlement ‘worst seen’ by leaders 23/12/2021 Council leaders in Scotland are demanding a meeting with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon over funding for next year.
Scottish councils need extra £1bn to 'survive' 16/11/2021 Councils in Scotland need more than an extra £1bn a year just to survive, a new briefing has warned.
Scottish union to hold nationwide strike ballot 24/08/2021 Councils in Scotland have been put on notice as Unison ballots members over industrial action.
Unions reject Scots pay offer 06/04/2021 Trade unions in Scotland have formally rejected employers’ pay offer of an £800 lower-rate pay rise for 2021, dismissing the sum as an unacceptably poor response to staff efforts during COVID-19.
COSLA calls on all parties to make commitment to local government 23/02/2021 Scottish councils have urged all political parties to give local government ‘the place and respect it deserves’ in their manifestos.
Scottish Budget 'falls short' 29/01/2021 The Scottish Government’s £11.6bn budget ‘falls short of the fair funding local government requires,’ councils have said.
Scottish councils' cost call 27/01/2021 Scottish local authorities have called for the costs of COVID-19 to be met by the Government north of the border.
Scottish councils call for fair funding to avoid 'damaging consequences' 12/01/2021 Council leaders in Scotland have called for an end of small ring-fenced pots of funding and no cap on council tax in this year’s Budget.
Scots union calls for urgent meeting to address funding 30/10/2020 Unison Scotland has called for an urgent meeting with Scottish finance secretary Kate Forbes in a bit to address the growing finance crisis.
Scottish councils release blueprint for change 07/09/2020 A local government blueprint laying out the changes required to unlock councils’ full potential has been published by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) today.
Local government associations pledge to tackle abuse of councillors 10/08/2020 The UK's four local government associations have pledged to work together to tackle the rise in abuse targeted at elected members.
Scots councils to get COVID cash top up 23/06/2020 The Scottish Parliament has agreed to top up its funding to councils to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
Call for lifting of immigration rules 20/04/2020 Council leaders in England, Scotland and Wales have called for a temporary lifting of the immigration rules that stop some migrants accessing public funds.
Scottish councils warn budget will 'devastate communities' 18/02/2020 Councils in Scotland have warned that efforts to tackle child poverty, climate change or deliver inclusive growth are at risk under the draft budget.
Scottish council chiefs warn budgets at ‘breaking point’ 06/01/2020 Local authority leaders in Scotland have today warned Holyrood that council budgets are at ‘breaking point’.
Nearly £1bn cut from Scottish authorities in past eight years 05/02/2019 Funding cuts are finally beginning to take their toll as Scottish councils can no longer protect services, according to report published today.
Tax reforms and £90m secured in Scottish budget deal 31/01/2019 A £90m windfall for local authorities and moves to reform council tax have been pledged by the Scottish Government.
Unions offered new pay rise to avert strike action 14/09/2018 A new pay offer has been put forward by councils in Scotland in a bid to avert industrial action.
Union rejects Scottish councils' pay offer 20/06/2018 Members of the GMB Scotland trade union have rejected the Scottish local government pay offer, potentially sparking industrial action.
Scottish government under pressure over council pay 22/01/2018 Scotland’s Government is under pressure to reverse planned council budget cuts after MSPs warned ministers created an ‘expectation’ town hall staff would receive pay hikes.
Participatory budgeting given go ahead in Scotland 30/10/2017 Residents in Scotland will be given a say in how £100m of council funds are to be used after a ‘landmark’ agreement was reached between the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
Council considers rejoining COSLA 30/09/2016 The leader of South Lanarkshire Council said he was reconsidering rejoining the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) after it broke away last year.