Lanarkshire residents are facing serious disruption to council services after unions confirmed strikes were set to go ahead due to a “derisory pay offer”.
Unison, the largest union in local government, met on Monday to discuss local government COSLA’s latest 3.5 per cent pay offer.
The union unanimously agreed to reject this revised offer outright and voted overwhelmingly to continue with their strike plans in councils across Scotland.
Unison rejected the offer as it has not sufficiently improved, falls far short of the Joint Trade Union’s claim, submitted in January, and falls far short of the current rate of inflation, which continues to rise.
The union also made the point that the offer falls far short of the offer made to 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.
Johanna Baxter from Unison told Lanarkshire Live : “This is another derisory pay offer.
"We are in a ridiculous position of both our employers and the Scottish Government agreeing this 3.5 per cent pay offer is not nearly enough, but both are at logger heads about who should pay for it.
“Meanwhile council workers – over half earn less than £25k per year - are worrying about paying the bills. Inflation is predicted to rise to 13.5 per cent and our members are offered a real-terms pay cut which will plunge more of them into debt.
“We have written to COSLA to tell them the strike continues in waste and recycling and we will confirm dates for strike action in schools and early years in the coming days.”
Waste and recycling workers represented by both UNISON and the GMB announced earlier this month they will go on strike in both of the local council areas between Friday and Monday, August 26-29; and again from Wednesday to Saturday, September 7-10.
Keir Greenaway from GMB Scotland told us : “This is a dire response to the cost-of-living crisis facing our members.
"It will almost certainly lock-in more strikes but let’s also be clear that many frontline workers will fall into working poverty this winter unless this pay offer is significantly increased.
“The blame game between COSLA and the government will no doubt continue, but six months on from the overwhelming rejection of the initial pay offer, this is a damning indictment of how our council workers are valued by Scotland’s political leaders.”
Following a virtual special meeting of council leaders on Friday, COSLA resources spokeswoman Katie Hagmann said she had been mandated to make an offer that raised the Scottish local government living wage to £10.50.
She said: “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 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.”
The Scottish Government has said it expects local authorities to match the £140m extra pledged by Holyrood for pay rises.
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