UNISON had threatened strikes by local authority staff as part of plans for escalating action, but this appears to have been avoided by a new COSLA offer backed by a further £48 million.

The Scottish Government has made £30 million available and Scottish councils put forward £18 million, allowing for pay deals backdated to 1 January 2021. This last minute offer led to UNISON suspending strike action during the proposed two week consultation with its members.

This means that any threatened bin strikes in Glasgow during COP26 have been averted.

Part of the new deal includes a new Scottish Local Government Living Wage hourly rate of £9.78. Staff earning more between £25,000 and £40,000 will receive a 2% increase and those earning between £40,000 to £80,000 will receive a 1% increase. COSLA were at pains to convey their appreciation of all the work carried out by the workforce during the pandemic.

Johanna Baxter UNISON Scotland head of local government said: “This improved pay offer rightly puts more money into the pockets of those on the lowest pay – it is just disappointing that UNISON members had to threaten to go on strike for their employer to recognise their worth.

We will now consult our members on this offer and UNISON will continue to lead the fight to improve the terms and conditions of these workers in the forthcoming negotiations for the 2022 pay review.”

Mark Ferguson, Chair of UNISON Scotland Local Government Committee said: “It has taken 10 months and the threat of strike action for COSLA and the Scottish Government to recognise the vital role of local government workers. We have said all along that the Scottish government needed to step up to the plate.

Local government needs a new deal, we need to invest in local services and those who work in local government need their value properly recognise in the years to come. ”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “It shouldn’t have taken the threat of global embarrassment for the SNP Government to bring a fair deal for workers to the table.

“They must now reverse the brutal cuts to services that have caused this waste and environmental crisis.”

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.