Scotland’s council workers’ strike ballot

Jim McFarlane, Dundee City Unison secretary and Unison NEC (personal capacity)

UNISON members in local government have served notice on Scottish councils of the intention to ballot for selective industrial action.

Council workers have suffered years of cuts to services and jobs alongside pay increases well below the rate of inflation. The strike ballot will run throughout September, looking to begin strike action in October.

The industrial action planned will target schools, waste and recycling services and could have a significant impact.

The employer’s organisation COSLA had previously offered staff earning less than £25,000 a flat rate rise of £800.

Despite hints of a substantially improved offer, they came back with a revised offer of £850 – working out at approximately 97p per week for the lowest paid staff.

55% of council workers earn below £25,000 a year. Workers earning between £25,000 and £40,000 a year have been offered just 2%.

Council workers have kept services running throughout the pandemic and deserve a proper pay rise. 

The latest pay offer falls far short of the pay claim and does little to address low pay which has become endemic following a decade of austerity.

The Covid pandemic has taken a big toll on the workforce. Council workers have maintained services that have assisted working-class communities to come through the unprecedented public health crisis.

Workers have evidenced their value again and again yet the Scottish Government and the employers take them for granted.

The selective strike action planned has to be seen as the first step in escalating strike action.

co-ordinate action

Activists in UNISON need to be putting forward the strategy of stepping up the strike action across every service and local authority to win an overdue increase.

Activists in the other trade unions of Unite and GMB should be pushing to co-ordinate action with their UNISON colleagues. Only through industrial action can improved pay be won.

The employer’s organisation is led by SNP and Labour councillors. Once again they have been found wanting when it comes to standing up for public services and local council workers. They have meekly passed on Tory cuts, year on year.

Trade unionists and socialists cannot rely on any of the main political parties to act in our interests.  

Only determined strike action will win what council workers deserve.

Scottish councils are up for election in 2022, and the failure to deliver a fair pay rise for council workers will not be forgotten when workers go to vote.

Increasing numbers will draw the conclusion of the need to build a new mass workers’ party to fight for their interests in council chambers across the country.

Scottish TUSC will be assisting in that task by aiming to stand widely on a socialist, needs budgets platform.