Local Government is UNISON Scotland’s biggest service group. Its remit covers a range of employees including those of all of Scotland’s councils, Direct Labour and Direct Service Organisations, Trusts, Joint Boards, voluntary and related organisations and private companies.
For information on our pay campaign, industrial action and ballot – got to our campaigns page
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Catch up with the latest updates at Fighting for Scottish Council Workers
Catch up with the latest updates at Fighting for Scottish Council WorkersLatest updates
Briefing 174 Public Service Reform Update
Public Service Reform (PSR) is the central mission of the newly elected SNP minority government, with the cabinet secretary in ... Read More
Briefing 173 Council Budgets Crisis
The Accounts Commission has published a stark warning about the state of council finances in Scotland. It warned that overall ... Read More
More than nine in ten council staff struggling with cost of living, says UNISON
Cost of living pressures mean more than nine in ten local government workers in Scotland are struggling to make ends ... Read More
West Dunbartonshire school learning assistants vote for strike action in job grade dispute, says UNISON
School learning assistants who support pupils with profound needs in West Dunbartonshire have voted overwhelmingly to strike in a dispute ... Read More
Briefing 171 Local Government Benchmarking Report 2024/25
Every year the Improvement Service carry out research on how councils are performing against a range of measures, giving information ... Read More
UNISON Scotland budget response: A budget that fails public services, says UNISON
UNISON's Scottish secretary Lilian Macer said: "Today’s Scottish budget does not go far enough to address the deepening crisis across ... Read More
West Dunbartonshire’s school learning assistants to be balloted for strike action in job grade dispute, says UNISON
School learning assistants who support pupils with profound needs in West Dunbartonshire are to take part in a strike ballot ... Read More
Briefing 168 – Population challenges for public services and the economy
This briefing looks at the implications of current and projected demographic change. It summarises recent publications from the Improvement Service ... Read More
Briefing 167 – Scottish Government Public Sector Reform Summit
On October 14th 2025 the Scottish Government held what they billed as a "Public Sector Reform Operational Summit" . The ... Read More
Briefing 165 – Scottish Government Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan
The Scottish Government has published it's Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan. The aim of the document is to provide some detail ... Read More
More Local Government News
Latest local government briefings
SSSC A Register for the Future: Consultation Outcome
Early in 2022 the SSSC consulted on some proposed changes to registration and qualifications. The proposals affect UNISON members who ...
Briefing 119 – Inflation and inequality
This briefing covers inflation, the differences between ways to measure it, and why it is vital we speak up on ...
UNISON Week 328 – Local Govt pay claim, Ovo threats, HE Ballot & more
UNISON Week 328 - Local Govt pay claim, Ovo threats, HE Ballot & more. Read full newsletter here ...
e-brief Keeping the Promise: Actions for branches to take
This briefing for UNISON local government branches provides action points to help make sure that The Promise is kept within ...
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Latest responses and submissions
Scrutiny of the Draft Budget 2015-2016
These are tough times for local government: services are being squeezed and so are the living standards of the workers ...
Future Model for Community Justice in Scotland response
UNISON Scotland responded to the consultation on "Redesigning the Community Justice System" in April 2013 in which we supported Option ...
Draft Budget 2015-16 Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee response
The call for evidence has two parts: ‘Increase exports’ – focusing on the ‘increase exports’ national indicator2 in the National ...
Health Inequalities in Scotland
This paper on health inequalities in Scotland was developed as our submission to the Health Inequalities Review commissioned by Neil ...
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