GMB Members Tell Council Bosses To ‘Do More For The Lowest Paid’ Ahead Of Lobby

GMB Members Tell Council Bosses To ‘Do More For The Lowest Paid’ Ahead Of Lobby

GMB Scotland members across local government will continue their campaign for a fair and equal pay offer with a lobby of the COSLA Leaders meeting in Forfar tomorrow (Friday 31 August).

Leaders and chief executives of all thirty-two local authorities will convene at the town’s Community Campus, with the 2018 local government pay offer on the agenda - but trade union representatives will be left in the cold as staff enter a fifth month without an acceptable offer.

In a previous consultative ballot, GMB’s 30,000 local government members rejected COSLA’s only offer to date by a majority of 92 per cent. The offer proposes:

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

GMB members are calling on COSLA to do more for the lowest paid in Scottish local government, which include home carers, school cleaners, refuse workers and pupil support assistants.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Drew Duffy said: “Tomorrow’s meeting will be snap-shot of the great local government divide where leaders and chief executives, who collectively earn over £5.5 million a year, will be hosted, fed and watered by staff on some of the lowest pay grades in COSLA.

Under the existing offer the pay rises for staff earning over £80,000 a year in local government will be up to eight times greater than the average carer, cleaner or caterer – that is absolutely shameful.

It cannot be right that after a decade of cuts to pay and conditions that the highest earners in local government receive the biggest cash lift. This offer is blatantly unfair and unequal which is why it was so resoundingly rejected by our members.

The message we will give to council leaders and chief executives as they walk through the door is simple: Our members are delivering your core services - you must do more for the lowest paid in our local authorities and bring forward an improved offer for their consultation.”

Ends

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

Notes to Editors:

The COSLA Leader’s meeting will take place tomorrow, Friday 31 August, from 11AM at the Forfar Community Campus, Kirriemuir Road, Forfar, DD8 3TG. GMB members will demonstrate from 10AM at the Campus main entrance.