Dear Member,
Your Pay, Your Say – Vote to REJECT now
Over the course of this summer thousands of you participated in UNISON’s ONE Team campaign to improve the 2018 pay offer and smash the pay cap in local government. And we did. So thank you to all of you for the work you did to help achieve that.
However, the revised offer that the employer’s organisation has come back with falls short of the pay claim submitted by the Joint Trades Unions in January and UNISON’s Scottish Local Government Committee is recommending that you REJECT this revised offer.
The offer the employer has put forward is for:
- A one year deal covering the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, with the award being back dated to the 1 April 2018 application date.
- A 3% pay increase for all employees earning up to £80,000 and a flat rate of £1600 for employees earning more than £80,000.
- An uprating of the Scottish Local Government Living Wage (SLGLW) from £8.51 to £8.77 and for this to continue to be the minimum rate of pay in Scottish local government, paid on the same terms as agreed in the 2017-18 pay award.
UNISON’s Scottish Local Government Committee is recommending rejection of this offer because:
- The employer has not engaged in meaningful negotiations with the Trade Unions. Had they done so we would have had the opportunity to shape the offer to help those most in need.
- Fairness – A key element of our claim was to be treated equally with other local government workers. However, we have now found out that the Scottish Government plan to give even more money to improve teachers’ pay. Our argument is simple – if additional money can be found to improve teachers’ pay then it is only fair that more money should be found to improve your pay.
- The pay offer is below the current rate of inflation.
- Restoration – the offer does not address the fact that you have lost around 15% of your salary in real terms over the past decade through below inflation increases caused by austerity.
- Low Pay – the offer does not address the significant issues of low pay that exist in local government and more needs to be done for those on the lowest pay.
The only way to get the employer back round the negotiating table is for you to use your vote, reject this offer and demonstrate your willingness to take industrial action up to and including strike action in pursuit of our full pay claim.
Click here to vote
You can also vote by calling Unison Direct on 0800 0857 857
For more information about our pay campaign including access to our Frequently Asked Questions and all our correspondence with the employer please click here.
Don’t forget to vote before 5pm on Wednesday 7th November, when the ballot closes.