Unison welcomes ‘credible offer’ after strikes

Strike action that closed schools in Prime Minister John Swinney’s constituency has resulted in a “credible” bid for council workers, union Unison said.

Non-teaching staff in Perth and Kinross walked out for two weeks as part of the pay dispute, with schools in the area closed as a result of the action.

Unison, the largest of three unions representing local government workers in Scotland, said the strike had resulted in “new commitments” from councils and the Scottish Government.

GMB and Unite previously accepted a bid that will see staff salaries rise by 67p an hour, or 3.6% – whichever is higher.

Unison said post-strike talks led to the government and local government body Cosla agreeing to a new pay protocol, along with a minimum hourly rate of £15 and a reduction in the working week.

Cosla said the new commitments “improve and strengthen the offer in a meaningful way”.

Unison will consult its members on the improved deal and recommend that they conclude this year’s negotiations and move to substantive discussions over the 2025-2026 period.

Collette Hunter, Unison Local Government Chair for Scotland, said: “Members from Perth and Kinross who work in educational settings and all our members who rejected the previous offer have secured these new commitments from the Scottish Government and councils.

“The determination and action of our members has secured a route to a credible pay offer before April 2025.

“We have also got the Scottish Government to come into the room with us and Cosla to seriously discuss £15 an hour, a reduction in the working week and the whole situation with council finances.”

Cosla spokeswoman Katie Hagmann said it was a priority to “work hard with union partners to find a resolution” to the dispute.

She said: “We have listened to Unison’s questions regarding unpaid elements and I am pleased that today we can formally respond to some of their proposals.

“We have written to all three unions to complement and strengthen the already strong wage offer on the table, which has been accepted by GMB and Unite.

“The letter sets out the shared commitment of Cosla and the Scottish Government to making meaningful progress in key areas of interest to Unison.”

While she emphasized that the wage increase “remains at the absolute limit of affordability” for municipalities “with no room to increase its value”, Ms Hagman added the additional elements that “meaningfully enhance and strengthen the package on offer”.

She said: “We are hopeful that this will make it possible to reach an agreement with the union partners and finalize our wage negotiations.

“We have respectfully asked Unison to consider the enhanced offer and to suspend any plans for future industrial action.”