The fight for fair pay—all members to Scottish Parliament at 11am on Thursday 8 December
On 15 December, the Scottish Government will announce their budget for the year. This is important for all local government workers, as it will indicate what cuts may be ahead and how the government will value its local government—and other public sector—workers.
We are now in a recession. It is forecast to be the longest and with the hardest impact on living standards since records began, so we expect this budget to outline cuts. The public sector has already been cut to ribbons by the decade-long package of austerity following the 2008 recession. There is simply nothing left to cut without huge impacts on our communities and vulnerable people. We must oppose all cuts every step of the way.
This starts with rallying at the Scottish Parliament the week before the budget.
Rally on 8 December at 11am
The STUC (Scottish Trade Unions Congress) has organised a mass lobby outside the Scottish Parliament on 8 December from 11am to 1pm.
The rally will call for a real pay rise for public sector workers, as well as the other demands of the STUC’s Scotland Demands Better campaign:
- A real pay rise for all public service workers
- A social security system that loosens the grip of poverty
- Warm homes, through municipal energy companies
- Sustained action to tackle rent costs
- Share the wealth, through income, wealth and business taxes
- Universal free school meals
- Cheap, publicly controlled public transport
- More support for childcare
- Enforcement of Fair Work.
Our branch
The Council has only budgeted for a 3% pay rise next year. Inflation (RPI) is currently at 14.2%, meaning 3% is a significant pay cut.
It is vital that we are ready to take action next year. This rally is a great opportunity to show we are ready to fight.
All our members that can attend should. We’ll be there with COSLA Living Crisis banners and flags.
For members in waste and cleansing, we would ask that you attend in hi-vis—we need to remind the Scottish Government of what can happen when they don’t value their local government workers.