UNISON held a crunch meeting with COSLA leaders on Friday 31st August in Forfar, to press our case for fair pay for all local government workers.
UNISON members including Inez Kirk, Branch Secretary and Scottish negotiator, demonstrated outside the meeting to highlight the vital role we all play in delivering services for local communities across Scotland, and to press COSLA to agree a fair pay deal for local government.
Last year the Scottish government agreed a bigger pay increase for teachers than that given to other local authority workers. UNISON understand this could happen again this year and has made it clear to COSLA that members will not put up with it.
Inez said: “Council staff deliver vital services educating children, caring for vulnerable people, cleaning and protecting our communities, and much more to serve the people of Scotland.
“Local government has taken the brunt of austerity with job cuts across councils. Staff have also suffered a real terms pay loss of over 15% over past decade. Our local services are delivered by one team, and if COSLA really value the contribution that all their staff make they must ensure that everyone who works in local government gets a fair and decent pay rise.”