Stirling Council workers are among those preparing to strike across the country after they rejected a 3.5 per cent pay offer.
Members of UNISON union, the largest in local government, rejected the revised offer from Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) outright and voted overwhelmingly to continue with their strike plans in councils across Scotland.
UNISON said the offer still fell far short of the Joint Trade Union’s claim (submitted in January) and far short of the current rate of inflation, which continues to rise.
It also pointed out that council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have been offered a £1925 flat rate uplift, which equates to a 10.5 per cent increase for those on the lowest wages.
The first wave of strike action, focused on waste and recycling services, is expected to take place on August 26-29 and September 7-10 in several local authority areas including Stirling and Clackmannanshire, as part of a wider co-ordinated plan of industrial action by the three trade unions across local government.
The dates that UNISON members in waste and recycling will walk out are the same as those chosen by the GMB for the same groups of workers.
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Dates for further strike action by schools and early years workers are yet to be announced.
Stirling UNISON branch secretary Lorraine Thomson said: “I am incredibly proud that Stirling UNISON members have voted to take part in upcoming strike action.
“Our members always see industrial action as the last resort. It shows a strength of feeling that they have for an offer which is effectively a massive pay cut when taking inflation into account.
“They see their counterparts in England and Wales being offered well over double that, and so it is simply not feasible for COSLA to expect low paid local authority workers to accept a deal which would push many of us into poverty.
“Our members work incredibly hard delivering vital public services for below average wages. They deserve to be able to heat their homes and put food on the table to feed their families this winter.
“COSLA and the Scottish Government have to work together to come up with an acceptable offer.”
David O’Connor, UNISON regional officer, added: “We struggle to recruit to health care posts at the best of time paying on or around the Scottish Living Wage.
“The offer of a pay cut, being asked to foot the bill for increased fuel costs travelling between clients and the cost of living crisis will only hasten the exit of staff intensifying the staffing crisis in homecare across the country with staff having to pay additional fuel costs travelling to clients.”
Following a special meeting of council eaders held by COSLA on Friday, COSLA resources spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann had said: “Following the confirmation that the additional monies provided by Scottish Government will be recurring, leaders have now mandated me today to move forward with our trade union partners on the basis of an offer that raises the Scottish Local Government Living Wage to £10.50.
“Leaders have reaffirmed their aspiration to make an offer greater than the initial two per cent but note the risk that public services will not recover, jobs will be affected and communities will see services reduced as local government budgets are unable to sustain the long term pressures they have been under.
“Leaders continue to call on the Scottish Government to provide funding and flexibilities to enable an offer beyond the monies provided to date. As such we will be seeking to make an improved offer via the appropriate negotiating mechanisms as soon as possible.”
