STRIKE action could be “inevitable” for tens of thousands of Scottish council workers this summer, as union bosses hit out at a “paltry” pay increase offer.
GMB Scotland will alert the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) on Monday of its intention to ballot all school, early years and waste and cleansing service members between June 6 and July 26.
The ballot of almost 10,000 workers comes as a response to the local authority body’s 2% pay offer against all council pay grades for 2022/23.
GMB Scotland’s senior organiser Keir Greenaway said: “Tens of thousands of the lowest paid staff in local government will go from the frontline of public service delivery to below the breadline unless their pay confronts soaring inflation and eye-watering energy bills.
“But instead of recognising calls to scale the challenge and rising to meet it, political leaders are sleeping at the wheel and blaming each other for their inability to address it – it’s a far cry from their doorstep applause every Thursday night only two years ago.”
Greenaway warned the offer would result in pay-cuts for frontline workers whilst disproportionately handing out the biggest increases to councils’ highest earners.
He added: “Let’s be clear. A pay rise of just 2% for the workers earning under £25,000 a year is worth no more than a tenner a week.
“It will turn a crisis into a catastrophe for many working families and there is no trade union worth its salt that would leave that unchallenged.
“Unless Cosla comes back to the negotiating table with a vastly improved offer that reflects the fact our members are working in the biggest cost of living crisis in 40 years, then industrial action looks inevitable.”
Scottish Labour have come out in criticism of the SNP in the wake of the potential strike action.
Their government spokesperson Mark Griffin said that the SNP's "chronic underfunding" of local government had put "vital services at risk".
He added: "The SNP cuts to council budget have taken Tory austerity and multiplied it.
"These workers have gone above and beyond - the Scottish Government should fund a pay offer which reflects that."
However, the Scottish Government have said they are not involved in pay negotiations regarding local government.
A spokesperson 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 the Government is not a member of the SJC, they said council pay was not something they could become directly involved with.
They added: "It is for trade union colleagues to reach a negotiated settlement with Cosla.
"We are treating councils fairly and providing a real terms increase of 6.3% to local authority budgets this year.
"Council staff play a crucial role in our communities as we rebuild the economy following the pandemic.
"We would encourage the parties to maintain dialogue and stay at the table to reach an agreement."
