Pay update—members balloted on new offer

COSLA submitted a new offer, noted as their ‘best and final’, on 21 September. Unite, Unison and GMB are balloting their members on the offer.

Unison are going ahead with their planned industrial action in schools next week and are recommending their members reject the offer.

Unite and GMB have suspended all industrial action while they ballot their members to see if they accept or reject the offer.

The offer

From 1 April 2023:

For grades 1 to 3 and the bottom of grade 4, an increase in the hourly rate of £1.04.

For others, an increase in the hourly rate of £1.00 or a 5.5% increase in their pay, whichever is worth more.

From January 2024:

Those that would have been on a higher hourly rate with the April 2023 offer will have their hourly rate uplifted to this.

In short, for Edinburgh, this means:

• Those up to the top of GR3 will receive a £1.04 per hour rise. Overall around £1,950 / 9% rise.
• Those at the top of GR3 and in GR4 will receive a £1 per hour rise. Overall £1878 / between a 7.5 and 8.5% rise.
• From GR5 to the bottom of GR11 get a £1 per hour rise, then an additional uplift of a couple pence per hour from January. Overall between £1,878 and £3,800 / between a 5.5 and 7.5 % rise.
• GR11 up get a 5.5% rise, worth £3,800 to £4,850.

Download this pay scale as a PDF or Excel spreadsheet with our calculations to work out what it means to you. These calculations are a guide and not the exact figure to expect, but should give a fairly accurate indication.

Read the full offer (PDF) from COSLA.

The ballot

The ballot will open on 26 September and close 17 October. As this is a consultative ballot it will be by email, text and post, depending on the details we have for you on the system.

All members should consider what the offer means to them and whether they would be willing to take action to continue the dispute, then vote accordingly.