Pay offer made to Scotland’s council workers

pay offer made to scotland’s council workers

Council leaders have made what they insist is a ‘strong, fair and credible’ pay offer to local government workers (Jane Barlow/PA)

Council workers in Scotland have been offered a two-part pay deal, which local government leaders insist is at the “limit” of what they can afford.

Cosla, which represents Scotland’s 32 local authorities, said the “strong, fair and credible” pay offer had been made following “very constructive” talks.

However Unison, the largest local government union in Scotland, insisted the deal being put forward “falls short of the level local government workers deserve” and said it would be recommending staff reject the offer.

The 18-month deal, which covers the period April 1 2024 to September 30 2025, would see council staff get a 2.2% pay hike from April this year, with a further 2% increase at the start of October 2024.

It comes as care workers in both the GMB Scotland and Unite unions are being balloted on strike action, in a vote which closes on June 19.

A Cosla spokesperson insisted however that there had been a number of “very constructive” meetings of the Scottish Joint Council steering group – which brings together the unions along with councils.

These have resulted in the formal pay offer being made to local government workers – with the spokesperson stressing the deal is “at the limit” of what councils can afford.

The spokesperson said: “This offer fully utilises the negotiating mandate provided by Cosla leaders and is at the limit of affordability, given the severe financial constraints councils are facing in the context of a flat cash local government settlement.

“We believe that this is a strong, fair, and credible offer which reflects the high value council leaders place on the local government workforce and the invaluable work they do every day to serve our communities.”

However Colette Hunter, chairwoman of Unison Scotland’s local government committee, said: “The offer falls short of the level local government workers deserve and the union is recommending staff vote to reject it when they are consulted next week.

“Workers have seen the value of their pay fall over the past 10 years, while often being asked to do even more.

“They provide vital services to their communities by caring for the most vulnerable, educating children, waste and recycling, and keeping people safe.

“Council workers need a pay rise that reflects this.”

OTHER NEWS

15 minutes ago

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is Teasing Answers to a Big Qunari Mystery

15 minutes ago

Fed's Bowman Says 'Not Yet' Appropriate to Cut Rates

15 minutes ago

Why Dunkin' Donuts' New Commercial Actress Looks So Familiar

15 minutes ago

Costly election pledges in France stoke fears of splurges that risk pushing country deeper into debt

15 minutes ago

Mark Cuban offloads 14 NFTs from his collection in two days

15 minutes ago

Rashee Rice on maturity: 'This is a step in a better direction for me'

15 minutes ago

Oleksandr Usyk no longer undisputed champion just a month after beating Tyson Fury

15 minutes ago

Julian Assange formally admits spying charge as part of a plea deal with US authorities

15 minutes ago

The Continuous Hockey Hall of Fame Snub of Former Maple Leafs Forward Alex Mogilny is Starting to Get Ridiculous

19 minutes ago

Kelowna city manager earned $100K more than B.C. premier in 2023

21 minutes ago

Higher ed: Top CUNY official gets eye-popping 16% pay bump, bringing salary to over $320K

21 minutes ago

Sydney’s Luna Park listed for sale, tipped to fetch $70m price tag

21 minutes ago

LeBron James And Anthony Davis Want The Lakers To Go "All-In" On Another Superstar

21 minutes ago

Kane on England - Slovenia and Bayern Munich future

21 minutes ago

Government lays foundation for social housing upswing

21 minutes ago

Glastonbury weather forecast: Festival to be dry says Met Office - but it still may rain

21 minutes ago

Fatima Payman avoids expulsion from Labor Party

21 minutes ago

Alimentation Couche-Tard earnings drop as consumers watch spending

21 minutes ago

Ravens TE says he's a 'chess piece,' will play all over field

21 minutes ago

PFF ranks Falcons' defensive line among the worst in NFL

21 minutes ago

England booed after advancing at Euro 2024

24 minutes ago

Canada beat 10-man Peru 1-0 to boost Copa America knockout stage hopes

24 minutes ago

Keppel Infrastructure Trust unit secures $612.5 million green loan

29 minutes ago

American woman goes missing while attending yoga retreat in the Bahamas

29 minutes ago

Woman pleads guilty to murder of Hollywood consultant and social justice advocate

29 minutes ago

BHP shares fall on decarbonisation update

29 minutes ago

When was the first Black Barbie made? Later than you think, as we learn in this new Netflix documentary

29 minutes ago

There may be a deeper meaning to Andy Petree's sudden retirement

29 minutes ago

New York judge lifts parts of Donald Trump's gag order ahead of presidential debate

29 minutes ago

Jonathan Jackson is returning to “General Hospital” as Lucky Spencer

29 minutes ago

AMD: ‘We are running as fast as we possibly can’

29 minutes ago

This is Fernando Alonso’s ‘extreme’ Aston Martin: the V12, manual-only Valiant

29 minutes ago

Moses injury scare forces crucial Blues switch

29 minutes ago

Apartment, townhouse regulators to face new crackdown

29 minutes ago

How The 1958 Bonneville Saved Pontiac From Chevrolet

29 minutes ago

T20 World Cup semi-finals - schedule, key players & how to follow

29 minutes ago

Kylian Mbappe makes goalscoring return to France line-up but draw could prove costly

32 minutes ago

Stanley Cup fun facts: Height, weight, names and more

32 minutes ago

Multiple people ID'd teen in shooting of retired CPD officer, 2nd attacker sought, prosecutors say

33 minutes ago

Urgent need to investigate Trump’s business assets in Scotland, say Greens