Response to Scottish Joint Council Pay Negotiations 2022/23 – Employers’ Side Pay Offer

19th August 2022

Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland head of local government said:

“COSLA have got themself into quite a muddle on this. The letter sent to us does not say that our members will get a 5 % pay rise. It is the offer of discussions about the configuration of a pay offer within a cost envelope of 5%. Confused? Our members will be.

We welcome the fact there appears to be more money on the table but we are a long way from a formal pay offer which would provide clarity over what workers will receive in their pay packets, and on which we can consult our members.

We are days away from our planned strike action and we will do everything we can to get the clarity we need to understand how this additional money will be distributed and what it will mean for members in their pockets.

We all want to avoid industrial action, and we will get around the table with COSLA as soon as possible, but until we have a clear pay offer our planned industrial action will continue and dates for school strikes will be notified in the coming days.”

Notes:
UNISON is the largest union in local government
Letter ‘5% pay offer’ from COSLA: https://unison-scotland.org/wp-content/uploads/22-08-19-SJC-Letter-of-Offer-SC.pdf

COSLA offer is here: https://unison-scotland.org/wp-content/uploads/22-02-28-SJC-Letter-of-Offer.doc
Trade union pay claim is here: https://unison-scotland.org/wp-content/uploads/SJC-Pay-Claim-2022.pdf

National Employers for local government services (UK) LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAY 2022 – pay offer: https://unison-scotland.org/wp-content/uploads/Emps-to-NJC-TUs-pay-offer-25Jul22.pdf

UNISON Contacts:
• Johanna Baxter, head of local government: 07817 120894
• Danny Phillips, communications officer: 07944 664110 / 0771 7715277