Council Workers Deliver ‘Resounding’ Rejection Of ‘Unfair’ Local Government Pay Offer

Council Workers Deliver ‘Resounding’ Rejection Of ‘Unfair’ Local Government Pay Offer

In a major test of the Scottish Government’s public pay policy, GMB Scotland members have today (Tuesday 19 June) delivered a ‘clear and resounding’ rejection of the 2018 Scottish local government pay offer.

92 per cent of GMB members across Scotland’s thirty-two local authorities rejected an offer put forward by bosses of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), which proposes:

• A 3 per cent pay increase for all employees earning up to £36,500;
• A 2 per cent pay increase for all employees earning £36,501 - £80,000; and
• A flat rate increase of £1,600 for all employees earning more than £80,000.

The result was delivered following a six week consultation of GMB’s 30,000 local government members, which include home carers, school cleaners, pupil support assistants, roads and maintenance, and refuse staff.

GMB has notified both COSLA and the Scottish Government of the rejection and will now carry forward plans for industrial actions across key services in Scottish local authorities.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Drew Duffy said: “This is a clear and resounding rejection by our members of a blatantly unfair and unacceptable pay offer but it should come as no surprise to anyone.

We have been saying for months that the Scottish Government’s public pay policy must do more for the lowest paid after a decade of real terms cuts and freezes to our members pay and conditions.

Left unchallenged, the COSLA offer will increase the pay of the highest grades in local government by £1,600, while staff on the lowest grades will get between £250 and £600.

It begs the question: Do COSLA and the Scottish Government really think that a council chief executive is worth £1,000 more than a home care worker, bin collector or school cleaner?

Our trade union doesn’t think so but Derek Mackay thinks this offer gives council workers ‘equal value’. He should look at the scale of this rejection and consider that the reality on the ground is very different than the view from the political bubble.

Further talks between the local government joint trade unions, COSLA and the Scottish Government have been earmarked but we aren’t going to wait and hope for a change.

Our members deserve better than that and, backed by this mandate, GMB will now take forward our campaign for fair pay and prepare for targeted industrial actions in local services across the country.”

Ends

Contact: GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Drew Duffy on 07912 560806 or Peter Welsh, GMB Scotland Communications, on 07976 447077.