Following a two-week strike in Perth & Kinross by schools and early years workers UNISON has secured commitments from the Scottish government and Cosla to discuss local government finance, a new pay protocol, a minimum hourly rate of £15, and reducing the working week.
These commitments will materially improve the landscape of local government pay negotiations and could bring an end to the current pay dispute, says UNISON today (Friday).
The union’s local government committee will now consult council staff who are UNISON members and recommend they agree to conclude this year’s pay negotiations and move to substantial talks for next year.
UNISON Scotland’s local government committee chair Colette Hunter said: “Perth and Kinross members working in education establishments and all our members who rejected the earlier offer have secured these fresh commitments from the Scottish government and councils.
“Our members’ resolve and action has secured a route to a credible offer on pay before April 2025.
“We have also got the Scottish government to come in the room with us and Cosla to seriously discuss £15 per hour, a reduction in the working week and the whole situation with council finances.
“Our members have shown they will take a stand on pay. We are asking them to agree to conclude this year’s pay negotiations and take the campaign for decent pay forward via the commitments we have got for 2025 and beyond.
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the largest union in local government. It also represents staff in education, the NHS, social care, police, energy and utilities.
– The Perth and Kinross strikes ran for two weeks from Monday 21 October to Friday 1 November.
The UNISON consultation will begin on Tuesday (12 November) and run for two weeks.
– Newly secured commitments to improve local government pay landscape include:
- A local government finance meeting in December, before council budgets are set, involving unions, the Scottish government and Cosla.
- Talks with the government, and Cosla on how to reduce the working week and deliver a minimum hourly rate of £15.
- A commitment to making a credible offer for 2025/26 before 1 April 2025 and subsequent pay offers in future years. Most years local government workers have had to wait more than six months for their annual pay rise. This is because of the time it takes local government employers Cosla to make a serious offer.