GMB Scotland dismisses council pay offer as too late and too low

GMB Scotland has today rejected Cosla’s pay offer to council workers.

The union, one of the biggest in Scotland’s public sector, branded the offer too late and too low, and warned of looming industrial action.

GMB's 20,000 members in Scots councils have already voted overwhelmingly in a consultative ballot to back industrial action if there was no acceptable offer and a formal ballot of care workers is already underway with more planned.

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, confirmed the union’s local government committee rejected the offer at a meeting this afternoon.

He said: “The offer to Scotland’s council workers is too late and too low. The delay was unacceptable and the offer is unacceptable.

“It means council workers in Scotland being offered less than colleagues in England and Wales and it raises grave concerns about councils’ promise to pay all workers £15 an hour by 2026.

“This offer comes nowhere close to matching that commitment.

“We do not need any more empty promises and excuses. We need a pay offer that fairly reflects the crucial work being done by our members in local authorities delivering the frontline services that Scotland is built on.

“Inflation might be slowing but bills continue to rise and workers and their families are still being crushed by the cost of living.

“Our members in social care are among the lowest paid council workers delivering some of the most important frontline services.

“They deserve better than this. So do their colleagues and so does every Scot relying on them to deliver the services Scotland is built on.”