New pay offer leads to strike suspension

UNISON Scotland news release
Thursday 2 October - Immediate

UNISON, Scotland’s largest local government union, said that an improved pay offer from Scottish local government employers meant that the union would suspend next week’s selective strike action, so that members could be consulted.

Dougie Black, UNISON regional officer, and leader of the negotiators said:

“After two strikes and previous fruitless negotiations, I’m pleased that we now have a new offer. It is at a level – 3% this year and 2.5% for next year – that needs to go back to members to get their view. In the meantime we have agreed to suspend the selective action to allow this to happen.”

The Herald: Councils split over increased pay deal

Councils split over increased pay deal
Stewart Paterson
The Herald 2 October 2008

A split has emerged among councils over offering an increased pay deal to end a dispute involving thousands of workers, which has brought public services to a standstill and is due to cause further disruption on Monday.

While council negotiators have officially stuck to an offer of a 2.5% wage rise this year in their negotiations with unions, some Labour councils are privately pushing for a settlement of between 3% and 3.5%, The Herald has learned.

A further round of action in the protracted dispute is due on Monday, with a week-long strike planned by council call- centre staff, which will follow two 24-hour strikes involving around 150,000 workers across Scotland over the past two months...

More on The Herald website

UNISON response to CoSLA talks offer

Council leaders invite unions for more talks "with a view to reaching a settlement"
 
The three trade unions will have further talks with CoSLA leaders on Thursday 2nd October after Councillor Cook, CoSLA's Human Resources spokesperson, extended the invitation "with a view to reaching a settlement" following a meeting of council leaders on 26th Sept 2008. 

In response to the offer, Matt Smith, UNISON's Scottish Secretary said "We welcome this offer of talks, as we have always said that this dispute will only be settled by a negotiated settlement which is realistic and not merely a repeat of the last offer."

Mon 29 September

BBC News: Council workers to strike again

BBC NEWS | Scotland:
Page last updated at 17:35 GMT, Thursday, 25 September 2008 18:35 UK

Council services were disrupted during an earlier strike Unions have set a date for fresh strike action by council workers in a continuing dispute over pay.   Unison, which represents 100,000 local government workers in Scotland, said the latest action would begin on Monday, 6 October. The announcement came a day after a 24-hour walkout by 150,000 local government staff. Unions are unhappy with a 2.5% pay offer and want 5% instead. Council bosses called for more talks. A Unison spokesman said the forthcoming action would target particular services and would involve lower numbers of workers than previous strikes. He declined to give any indication how long it would last. 'Reality' check However council bosses claim they have already made concessions and the resources are not available to meet the workers' demands. Local authority employers' group Cosla called on the unions to bring more realistic demands to the table. A Cosla spokesman said: "We are prepared to meet with the unions at any time. "We do not want the people of Scotland inconvenienced by unnecessary strike action." He urged the unions to come to any meeting with "a degree of reality in their position". "We have moved twice already firstly to get to 2.5 % (from 2.2%) and then a one-year deal from three. The unions have not moved an inch." Unison Scottish secretary Matt Smith said strike action was "only taken with the greatest of reluctance" and said he hoped the union and Cosla could come to a "negotiated settlement".