Council workers balloted over pay

Jun 26 2008 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

COUNCIL workers are to be balloted for industrial action over a below-inflation pay offer.

More than 6000 UNISON members working for South Lanarkshire Council are to follow their colleagues in the rest of the UK on the issue.

The union’s local government members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland voted by 55 per cent to 45 per cent for a programme of strike action over a 2.45 per cent, per year offer.

Scottish councils have offered an increase of 2.5 per cent a year for the next three years.

But members of UNISON, the GMB and UNITE have rejected the offer and the unions plan to ballot members in July on industrial action.

South Lanarkshire UNISON branch secretary Stephen Smellie said: “With inflation running at 3-4 per cent, and many items such as fuel and food surging in price by 15-40 per cent, it is no wonder that members who deliver our vital services reject being locked into a below-inflation deal for the next three years.

“In addition, with fuel costs spiralling, many staff who use their cars to do their work are effectively subsidising employers. We hope that our employers will see that to deliver the improved services we all want, we need staff who are properly paid and qualified.

“Pay offers like their current one will do nothing to attract and retain these staff.”

UNISON is to lobby Scottish local authorities organisation today.

The union’s Scotland regional organiser said: “Despite public statements from CoSLA that they are still in negotiation, the employers have recently cancelled a negotiating meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

“We have decided nevertheless that our negotiators and a representative number of our low-paid members, will keep the appointment to make the point to CoSLA that their offer is unacceptable.

“They will be carrying the princely sum of 46p – the total that our lowest paid members can expect their hourly rate to increase if they accept the employers’ offer.”

A spokesman for South Lanarkshire Council said this week the authority did not wish to make any comment as negotiations were carried out through CoSLA.