Thousands of council workers to be balloted on strike action in pay row

Thousands of council workers across Scotland involved in waste collection, recycling and street cleaning services are to be balloted on strike action in an ongoing dispute over pay.

Unison, Scotland’s largest trade union, has warned mass walkouts could begin across the country in August if a majority of staff back industrial action.

The union has described the latest pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) as “inadequate” and 91% of workers consulted over the offer earlier this year voted to reject it.

The two-stage offer lasting 18 months would have seen staff receive a 2.2% increase for the first six months of the deal and an extra 2% for the next 12 months.

Union leaders called for an above-inflation pay increase for local government workers as the union submitted its 2024/25 pay claim and argued the latest Cosla offer “does nothing” to address a fall in the value of wages over the last 14 years.

Unison Scotland local government committee chair Colette Hunter said: “It’s disappointing that it’s come to a strike ballot. But Cosla has refused to either improve its pay offer or join unions in their call to meet the Scottish Government to discuss additional funding.

“Striking is always a last resort, but workers deserve to be paid wages reflecting their essential roles. They’re determined to achieve just that.”

Unison Scotland lead for local government David O’Connor said: “Cosla’s proposal falls short of Unison’s pay claim. It’s also less than the offer made to the lowest-paid local government staff south of the border.

“It does nothing to address the impact of below-inflation pay settlements that have reduced the value of staff wages by a quarter over the past 14 years. Scotland’s council workers deserve much better.”

The industrial action ballot will continue until Wednesday July 17.

A Cosla spokesperson said: “Cosla has made a strong offer at the limits of affordability for councils.

“In the context of lowering inflation and a ‘flat cash’ budget settlement from Scottish Government, it remains important to reward our valued workforce appropriately. We urge our unions to reconsider their decision to reject the offer.

“We are disappointed that industrial action is being contemplated by our unions and concerned that it appears to be targeted at waste services, once again raising potential public health risks.

“We respect our unions’ role in seeking to obtain the best pay settlement they can for their members. We reiterate that we remain committed to doing the best by our workforce who deliver essential local services in every community across Scotland.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Local government pay negotiations are a matter for local authorities as employers and unions – the Scottish Government has no formal role.

“The Scottish Government urges all parties involved to work together constructively and reach an agreement which is fair for the workforce and affordable for employers.”