Strike prompts local authorities to reopen talks with trade unions

Councils seek further negotiations after mass walkout

By Cameron Brooks

Published:

Tens of thousands of council workers who brought Scotland to a virtual standstill this week have claimed victory over employers who have agreed to reopen pay negotiations.

Trade unions Unison, GMB and Unite said the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities had approached them about fresh talks to prevent further action.

They said it was clear employers had been rattled by the scale and impact of the strike on Wednesday, which saw about 190,000 workers walking out.

The 24-hour stoppage resulted in scores of schools, leisure centres, libraries, museums, day-care centres and crematoriums being closed.

Rubbish collection, street cleaning, environmental protection, parking warden services and ferry services in Argyll were also disrupted.

Cooks, cleaners, classroom assistants, janitors, road workers, refuse collectors, gardeners and social workers all took part because they are angry they have only been offered a 2.5% below-inflation increase each year for three years.

Dougie Black, Unison secretary to the trade union negotiators, said: “We are pleased that Cosla has approached us to reopen talks on this year’s pay award.

“We also note that the invitation to talks addresses some of the contentious issues. Obviously we want a solution to this dispute, so we hope that discussions around a new offer more acceptable to our members can start quickly.”

Mr Black said Unison’s 150,000 members who took part in the strike had made it very clear that they want a pay settlement that protects them from inflation and “does not lock them” into multi-year awards.

“We will be talking to our fellow unions to agree future action should it be required, and will announce this later.”

Alex McLuckie of GMB Scotland said: “The strike was a victory for the union. It was very well supported and clearly demonstrated to employers that they need to get back to us because there is no way this is going to go away and they need to do something about it.

“We cannot see another way other than increasing the offer because we had 25,000 members out venting their disapproval.”

Mr McLuckie said it was hard to say what would be an acceptable percentage increase because inflation was increasing so rapidly.

He added: “The UK Government needs to address inflation because people cannot be expected to take a pay cut because of the state of the economy.”

Cosla wrote to the trade unions on Thursday, inviting them to talks “as a matter of urgency.”

Councillor Michael Cook, chairman of the employers’ negotiating team, said: “I made it absolutely clear on Wednesday that our door was open and has been since the start of the negotiations.

“We then wrote to them inviting them in for talks and I am pleased they have accepted our invitation.”

Finance Secretary John Swinney says it us up to Scotland’s 32 councils to negotiate with the trade unions to avert another day of strike action. But Labour local government spokesman Andy Kerr insisted that Mr Swinney should attend the scheduled talks.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We welcome the decision to reopen discussions. The proper way to resolve this dispute is for the two sides to negotiate an agreement and it would be inappropriate for ministers to intervene.”