Local Government

Local goverment serves the peopleLocal 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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Latest updates

Briefing 160 – Children (Care, Care Experience & Services Planning) Bill: Call for Views

The Government has decided that some reforms recommended by the Independent Care Review for children & young people require legislation ... Read More

Red Book, local government terms and conditions 2025

 This is the latest (April 2025) edition of the Single Status Agreement (commonly referred to as the ‘Red Book’). It ... Read More

Council staff vote to accept two-year pay offer

Local government staff in Scotland have voted to accept Cosla’s two-year pay offer, says UNISON today (Monday). Members of Scotland’s ... Read More

Briefing 158 – Care Reform (Scotland) Bill passes

On 10 June, the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed. This briefing gives an overview of its provisions. The Act ... Read More

Local government staff to be balloted on new two-year pay offer, says UNISON

Council staff are to be balloted after unions received a two-year pay offer from local government employers Cosla, says UNISON ... Read More

Briefing 157 – Care Management: Fit for purpose?

Care Management is the process for assessing individuals’ needs for social care services. It is integral to the social care ... Read More

Falling local government pay

Local government real terms pay loss examples These real examples show how much local government pay has fallen since the ... Read More

Briefing 154 – Consultation on rent control exemptions

The Housing (Scotland) Bill will introduce a system of long-term rent controls. This briefing gives an overview of the Government ... Read More

e brief Local Government Budgets 2025/26

Audit Scotland has published its assessment of local authority budgets for 2025/26. This e brief presents the headlines. The Audit ... Read More

Double whammy for local government workers

Commenting on Audit Scotland’s Local Government Budgets 2025/6 report and latest inflation figures, UNISON Scotland’s regional manager Kay Sillars said today (Thursday): “Council ... Read More

More Local Government News

Latest local government briefings

e brief Local Government Budgets 2025/26

thumbnail of e-brief LG Budgets May 2025
Audit Scotland has published its assessment of local authority budgets for 2025/26. This e brief presents the headlines. The Audit ...

Briefing 153 – COSLA’s pay offer: the facts

thumbnail of Bargaining briefing 153 LG Pay 2025
This bargaining briefing gives the facts about COSLA's pay offer of 17 February. COSLA’s 3% pay offer is a real ...

Briefing 152 – National Social Work Agency Update: March 2025

thumbnail of FINAL NSWA Update Briefing 152 March 2025
Plans are going ahead to create a National Social Work Agency (NSWA) as part of the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill, ...

e-brief – Insourcing of Adult Residential and Home Care

thumbnail of e-briefing insourcing July 2025
This briefing provides recent examples of where, how and why adult social care services have been returned in-house ('insourced') to ...

More on briefings page

Latest responses and submissions

Democracy Matters: Local governance Phase 2 consultation

thumbnail of FINAL Local Governance response Feb 2024
This is UNISON's response to the Scottish Government and COSLA  ‘Democracy Matters: Local governance Phase 2 consultation’. The consultation is ...

Additional Support for Learning (ASL)

thumbnail of ASL Consultation Response FINAL Dec 23
This is our response to the Education, Children and Young People Committee’s call for views on Additional Support for Learning ...

Consultation on a ‘Fairer Council Tax’

thumbnail of Fairer Council Tax Consultation Response Sept 23
This is the UNISON Scotland response to the Scottish Government and COSLA Consultation on a Fairer Council Tax. The proposals ...

Circular Economy Bill – response to Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

thumbnail of UNISON Response Circular Economy NetZET Cttee Aug23
This is UNISON’s submission to the Scottish Parliament Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee’s call for views as part of ...

More on responses page