Local authority workers’ dispute – Unions to ballot

The three unions involved in the pay dispute with Scottish local authorities – Unite, Unison and GMB – have now sent out ballot papers to their members, with the result due next month.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) has described the current offer as the last and the best possible, with no more money available. It warns that the offer will be taken off the table if it is not accepted. The two year deal to be ballotted would see workers with a 3% rise this year, backdated to April and followed by a 2.5% rise next year.

Their negotiators feel that they should now ballot their members and, with inflation running at 5%, all three unions are advising rejection, with Unison saying that the offer is not enough.