COSLA leaders ‘duck responsibility' over council pay, says UNISON

5th August 2022

In response to COSLA meeting with the Scottish government today (Friday 5 August 2022), to discuss local government pay increase.

Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland head of local government said: "The failure of council leaders to come up with a solution today just demonstrates that they and the Scottish government have ducked responsibility on this.

"They do not seem to have grasped the gravity of this situation. UNISON members will rightly be furious that they are being forced into a position of having to take industrial action for anyone to take notice of them. "

"It is simply unacceptable that 4 months after we should have had an agreed a pay-rise for council workers COSLA and the Scottish government are still scrabbling about for further information. Inflation is projected to be as high as 13% and local government staff still only have 2% on the table - the cost of living crisis is hitting people now. They have had months to sort this out."

"As I have said many times that the last thing UNISON members want is a strike, but we seem to be on a collision course to closing schools, nurseries and waste and recycling services across the country and issuing notices of action in a matter of days. The responsibility for that lies squarely with COSLA and the Scottish Government."