In the recent consultative ballot, UNISON’s Local Government members have sent a resounding rejection to CoSLA after their offer fell well short of what members want and need in terms of pay.
The employers’ 18 month offer 2.2% to end September, then just 2% for the year following (with a permanent move of the pay year to Oct-Sep) was simply too low for members who have seen years of real terms pay cuts that have still to be addressed. Moving the pay year with no apparent incentive just looks like an efort to dress up a poor offer as something slightly better than it is.
Balloting on Industrial Action is already underway in Waste services in Edinburgh with wider waste ballots to follow very soon. We will also be looking to ballot our Education members for a re-run of last year’s fantastic schools and early years strikes. Care workers are also being readied for potential action.
We are serious about doing what’s necessary to win and the employers and our members know we can will deliver ballots over the anti-union 50% returns thresholds.