Edinburgh refuse and school staff could be on strike again in weeks, unions warn
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After weeks of industrial action that saw rubbish pile up in the capital during the festival, strike action was suspended after UNISON members accepted a pay settlement in early September 2022. But furious union chiefs claim that time limits have since been imposed on parts of the offer while staff are still waiting for the increase, which they branded ‘appalling behaviour’
Unions were told by local government umbrella organisation COSLA on October 7 that elements of the original deal – an extra days leave and the payment of SSSC registration fees for those working in social work, social care and early years – were only for one year.
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Hide AdIn a letter to COSLA on Thursday, Unison said: “It is frankly outrageous that the draft pay circular sent to us on 7th October sought to time limit elements of the offer that had no time limitation on them in the original offer letter or in the discussions we had prior to it. That this remains unresolved should be a source of deep embarrassment. As has previously been advised our strike mandates remain live and we are all under increasing pressure from members, who are rapidly losing faith in their employer, to lift the strike suspensions if a resolution is not achieved quickly.”
Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland head of local government said: “This is appalling behaviour - either the employer did not even understand the offer they were making or they did and are now trying to renegue on it before its even been implemented. Either way it will be our members that suffer if they are allowed to get away with it.
“All three trade unions are under increasing pressure from members, who are rapidly losing faith in their employer, to lift the strike suspensions if a resolution and call members out if a resolution is not achieved quickly. It should be a source of deep embarrassment to COSLA that more than six months since the pay implementation date and in the middle of the worst cost of living crises our country has seen, they are still waiting on their pay rise.”