Perth and Kinross Council services and schools could be affected next month after local staff look set to join strike action over a “paltry” pay rise offer.
Unite, the union which represents staff employed by Tayside Contracts, many of which are based in Perth and Kinross, voted in favour of industrial action after rejecting a two per cent increase offered by Cosla.
The union says the protests could result in schools in the region “being impacted”.
The commercial trading arm, also partnered with Angus and Dundee councils, employs approximately 2500 people operating out of in excess of 300 establishments.
Services under the Tayside Contracts umbrella include cleaners, school bus drivers, construction workers, refuse collectors, crossing patrollers and school meal workers.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson did, however, confirm that its own staff have not balloted to strike.
Twenty six of the country’s 32 councils will see staff take strike action after meeting the 50 per cent ballot threshold.
No official strike dates have been announced but they are expected to begin in the middle of August and into early September.
The Unite, Unison and GMB unions demand that Cosla – the association that represents local government - offer a £3000 pay packet boost and a minimum wage of £12-an-hour for all employees.
Unite say that with inflation soaring to 11.8 per cent, prompting a cost of living crisis, the current offer is unacceptable.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The message for both the Scottish Government and Cosla is crystal clear: thousands upon thousands of members won’t tolerate real terms pay cuts anymore, and they have had enough.
“Our members are being forced to take this action due to a derisory pay offer, and we will support them in this fight for better jobs, pay and conditions in local government.”
The unions said council workers in England had been offered a salary increase of £1925, equivalent to a 10.5 per cent rise for the lowest paid, and called for Scottish local authorities to provide a similar “flat rate payment”.
Cosla said the wage “expectations” of council staff had rightly been “influenced by Scottish Government decisions in relation to other parts of the public sector”.
A series of similar pay disputes have broken out involving Scotland’s police, firefighters and nurses.
However, the Scottish Government is already facing a £3.5billion black hole in its finances that could require 30,000 job cuts.
The Unison, Unite and GMB unions had urged members to vote to strike after Kate Forbes, the finance secretary, refused an offer of talks. They had called for a summit with Ms Forbes and Nicola Sturgeon.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Pay settlements for council workers - excluding teachers - are a matter for Cosla and are determined through negotiations at the Scottish Joint Committee (SJC).
“As it is not a member of the SJC, the Scottish Government cannot directly intervene in pay negotiations.”
Pay settlements for council workers - apart from teachers - are the responsibility of Cosla and are determined through negotiations at the Scottish Joint Committee (SJC).
A Cosla spokesperson said: “As employers we have a responsibility to ensure that any pay deal offered is both sustainable and affordable and that is why we are unable to go beyond the current offer at this point.”
Tayside Contracts was approached for comment and to reveal how many of its staff will go on strike, but did not respond before the newspaper was sent for publication.
