A local government pay deal has been agreed in Scotland after union members gave employers' latest offer their backing.
Members of UNISON, GMG and Unite all endorsed the two-year pay settlement, following the recommendations of union leaders.
Under the deal, pay will rise by 4% in 2025-26, backdated to April, and then by 3.5% in 2026-27. Employers' body COSLA made the offer - an improvement on its initial proposal of 3% for 2025-26 alone - last month after all three unions balloted their members on taking industrial action.
The offer was enabled by additional cash from the Scottish Government and means that staff should receive a real-terms pay rise over the next two years, with the Bank of England predicting that inflation - currently 3.4% - will rise to 3.7% in September this year before falling back towards 2%.
'A crucial step in turning round pay cuts'
Announcing the results of UNISON's consultative ballot, its local government committee chair, Suzanne Gens, said: "This pay deal is a crucial step in turning round cuts to council staff pay. It gives local government workers some financial security now they know their pay will be higher than inflation over the next couple of years."“This has only been achieved because of the determination of council workers to demand better.”
GMB Scotland said 66% of members who voted backed the deal, though warned that it did not do enough for the lowest paid.
'Not enough for lowest paid'
“A percentage increase means the highest-paid council staff will receive thousands of pounds more each year while frontline workers get pennies more each hour," said Keir Greenaway, its senior organiser in public services.“This offer does not do enough for them and it does not do enough to reach a minimum wage of £15 an hour which ministers continue to insist is their ambition.”
Unite said 77% of voting members backed the offer, with its lead negotiator for local government, Graham McNab, saying: “Scottish council workers have given their backing to a decent pay rise covering the next two years. We are pleased the negotiations were held in a far more productive way this year than in the past and this should set a benchmark for future years.”
Offer 'shows employers value council staff'
Speaking before the GMB and Unite's ballot results were published, COSLA welcomed the approval of the offer from UNISON members."In putting forward this strong, two-year offer council leaders recognise the value our employees in Scotland’s councils deliver every day," said a spokesperson.
