Local Government Pay - members key in campaign
by Chris Bartter
See
also Press Release 18 Feb
An offer from the Scottish employers to this year's local
government pay claim, has been rejected by UNISON and the
other local government trade unions.
CoSLA responded to this year's pay claim of £1,000 or 5%,
submitted last November, with an offer that spanned three
years, proposing rises of 2.2% in 2008, 2.3% in 2009 and a
further 2.2% in 2010.
A negotiating meeting earlier this month failed to elicit
any improvements to this offer, despite its initial rejection.
Dougie Black, UNISON Regional Officer and secretary to the
trade union negotiators said: "This level of offer is unacceptable
to local government staff. It doesn't approach the current
rate of inflation, let alone begin to catch up the loss staff
have suffered over recent years and it skews the pay scales,
increasing the gap between higher and lower paid - for our
lowest paid workers the increase after three years would be
42p!"
The employers also refused to offer any improvement to annual
leave or public holidays. Recent deals CoSLA have reached
with Scotland's teachers give higher pay rises (2.25%, 2.5%
and 2.4% over three years) and many councils have budgeted
for higher pay settlements. UNISON is now calling on members
in Local Government to put pressure on their employers to
argue for movement in this offer at the next negotiating meeting
on 3 March.
Stephanie Herd, Chair of the Scottish Local Government Committee
said, "We now need to bring home to councillors that our members
are serious about this level of offer being unacceptable.
"CoSLA have been trumpeting their willingness to make 'efficiency
savings' so they can reinvest these in services. One of those
investments must be in a properly paid workforce to deliver
those services.
"We will be circulating draft letters to branches for members
to use to lobby councillors before the next negotiations and
letters to be sent to the local press, and we are urging stewards
to encourage members to use them!"
The claim is on the website at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/localgovt
headlines . top
|
