pay – Unite CEC Branch

Unions submit pay claim for 2023

Unions call for £15 per hour minimum rate and a pay rise of 12% or £4,000

On 26 January, the Scottish Joint Council (SJC – Unite, Unison and GMB) submitted its pay claim for local government workers to COSLA.

The pay claim is

a minimum rate of pay of £15 per hour
an increase of 12% or £4,000, whichever is greater,
pay based on a 35-hour week
no less than parity with other local government bargaining groups, such as teachers
expectation to implement the pay away by 1 April.

Other aspects include

Unite’s pay claim 2023

You were recently surveyed on the terms of our pay claim for 2023. The results are in and Unite’s demands are listed below.

Unite’s pay claim for 2023 is below. This will be put to Unison and GMB, so we can agree what the unions’ pay claim to put to COSLA will be.

Unite calls for:

Backdated pay for strikers

When you get your pay slip for the 22 December pay, it will show some deductions. This is because the system will pay you your backpay including the days you were on strike, and then deduct it again.

Your pay slip is likely to show these entries:

Craft pay award agreed

Craft pay award to be paid 22 December—talks on allowances on-going

Pay talks between COSLA and the unions representing craft workers have now concluded, with the pay award being agreed.

The deal is the same as that for local government employees and will be paid on 22 December, including backpay. Your holiday allowances will be updated with the extra leave at the end of the year.

For clarity: all Council workers are local government employees and have been since 2013. The aspect from the craft national terms you keep is around the tool allowance and overalls allowance.

Talks on the allowances are on-going—we will update here once details are available.

Craft apprentices are fully aligned to the craft national terms and conditions.

Apprentices pay

Call to all members—rally Parliament on 8 December for the Scottish Government budget!

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.

Pay deal settled!

Unite members will be relieved to hear that the 2022 pay deal will now be implemented – finally!

Today COSLA confirmed that the sticking points of the 1 day’s annual leave and payment of SSSC registration fees will be in perpetuity as offered and accepted by a members’ ballot.

Despite pressure being applied to accept a partial deal, Unite would like to thank you all for your continued support and determination to get the full deal.

Together we will always be strong!

D0wnload the agreed 2022/23 pay deal letter (PDF) Download

In Edinburgh

The new rates, and your backpay, will be paid on 22 December 2022.

One day annual leave will be added to your entitlement soon. As the pay deal takes effect from April, there was around a half day accrued in the last leave year. We are in discussions about how this will be added to your entitlement.

For details of the pay deal, and to see a rough calculation of what it will mean for you, see our post from September.

Second wave of strike action in Edinburgh starts 6 September—suspended

This action is suspended—see the latest on the pay dispute

Members in Waste and Cleansing will walk out again from Tuesday 6 to Tuesday 13 September as the dispute over local government pay in Scotland continues.

Schools workers in Edinburgh are not on strike.

Striking members should read the strike FAQ and add any questions at the bottom.

Pickets remain as before. See picket locations.

Donate to the strike fund to support these workers.

Tag: pay