Laura Sharman 09 November 2018

Council pay offer rejected as union moves towards strike action

The 3% pay offer for council workers in Scotland has been rejected by members of Unison Scotland.

The ballot saw 79% of members voting in favour of rejecting the offer, which was made to all staff earning up to £80,000. Seven out of ten members (67%) also voted to take industrial action.

Johanna Baxter, head of local government (bargaining) at the union, said: 'What this result demonstrates is a real anger and frustration amongst Unison members at the lack of action by CoSLA and the Scottish government to address the serious issue of low pay in local government.

'Unison will talk to other local government trade unions on Friday to discuss further action and we will inform employers of the ballot results then.

'As the Scottish government prepare their budget we will put further pressure on them to make more money available to fund a decent pay rise for local government staff. Local government workers have endured a decade of real-terms pay cuts, and they have now simply had enough.'

In response, COSLA's resources spokesperson, Cllr Gail Macgregor said: 'Obviously my first reaction is one of disappointment at the outcome of the ballot. We value our workforce and our 3% offer matches other offers within the public sector in Scotland. However, whilst disappointed, we as employers look forward to discussing this with UNISON at our joint meeting today.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Collections Assistant

Oxfordshire County Council
£10233 - £10561
About the Role The Collections Assistant supports the care and access of our museum collection. This is a hands-on role that works closely with colleagues and volunteers on collections care, assisting preventive conservation and looking after the collect Museum Resource Centre, Standlake
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council

Lawyer Children, Adult and Health

Durham County Council
£47,181 to £51,356 p.a. (Grade 13)
Are you looking to progress your career in Law?  If so, we are looking for a Lawyer working within our Children, Adults and Health Team within Legal S Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Team Leader

Durham County Council
Grade 8 £32,597 - £36,363
Team Leaders – Opportunities are available across the County Durham Area   Salary
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Recycling Assistant

Durham County Council
£28,142 - £31,022
New Government legislation called ‘Simpler Recycling’ means councils across England must reduce the amount of waste being disposed of and increase wha Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Caretaker

Durham County Council
£25,583 - £26,824
Caretaker Grade 4    £25,583 - £26,824 Permanent Full Time, Whole Time Required from 1st January 2026 We wish to appoint an enthusiastic and talented Stanley
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner