Tens of thousands of council workers vote to strike
Jim McFarlane, Dundee City Unison secretary (personal capacity)
Local government workers across Scotland have voted in record numbers to take strike action over a pay offer of 5% from 1st April 2023.
The largest trade union in local government, UNISON, concluded their ballot by announcing that 24 out of 32 local authority branches not only voted overwhelmingly for strike action amongst members in schools and some early years settings, they also got over the 50% turnout threshold set by the Tory anti-trade union laws.
This 50% threshold was deliberately set by the Tories to frustrate efforts by workers to take strike action. It also gave an excuse for right wing trade union leaders to put forward the argument that even arguing to take strike action was pointless.
The votes in areas where there is less of a history of taking strike action shows a shift in the mood amongst council workers. The highest vote turnouts were in Perth & Kinross and Angus council areas.
This was achieved by local activists organising and campaigning to get the votes in and giving leadership to persuade members that they were serious about winning over pay.
anger growing
The UNISON ballots, along with the successful ballots by GMB and Unite, show not just the anger of council workers after years of pay restraint and cuts but also more importantly their willingness to vote for action in sufficient numbers.
Strike action in other services such as teachers, railworkers, postal workers, higher and further education staff gave examples of taking action making a real difference. The pressure on the employer’s organisation COSLA and the Scottish government to come forward with an improved offer will undoubtedly mean a new offer will be forthcoming.
However, trade union activists at a local and Scottish level have a key task in ensuring that the strong ballot mandate is not just used as leverage that results in a marginally improved offer.
Members in schools and early years have voted for strike action to achieve a significantly better pay deal, not a tinkering with the now rejected deal.
Firefighters and police officers were protesting recently over their pay offers. It is looking more likely that firefighters could be taking action soon.
When the Scottish Police Federation held a small protest outside COSLA offices the Chair of the Federation was quoted saying “There is clear evidence across the public sector in Scotland that when bodies put their initial pay claim, the first response says there is no money.
When they either threaten to, or take industrial action miraculously extra money is provided by the government to settle those pay deals to prevent their staff walking out.” That observation is indicative of a growing mood in society that strike action works in winning concessions, if not outright victories at this stage.
Socialist Party Scotland members in UNISON, along with those organised in the broad left Scottish UNISON Socialist Network, are working to ensure strike dates are set and built for as soon as possible.
no tweaking
Trade union negotiators need to be under no illusion that talks about tweaking the existing deal are not acceptable.
Workers expressing their collective power on the picket lines and demonstrations will be much more effective than dragged out talks. Workers are convinced to join trade unions and also get involved, taking positions as workplace reps, when effective action is taken. They quickly see through cynical recruitment tactics.
Plans should be underway to co-ordinate strike action across the relevant trade unions and other sectors taking action. Taking strike action is never an easy option for workers but they quickly draw conclusions that sometimes it is the only option.
The cuts agenda continues apace across local government. Decisive industrial action on pay can strengthen the fight for public investment to reverse the cuts. It also exposes the Scottish government and councils of all political persuasions who have meekly passed cuts budgets for years.
