JOINT TU STATEMENT ON PICKETS

To: All UNISON, GMB and Unite members working in Scottish Local Government

The Trade Union Act presents trade unions with significant hurdles in securing legal mandates for strike action.

We understand this has meant that all three SJC Trade Unions have secured different ballot
results and strike mandates, covering different workers, in different council areas.

Each trade union mandate for strike action must be respected.

This inevitably means that there will be pickets operating in some areas where members of other
trade unions are not covered by a legal mandate for action which means they may face another
union’s picket when arriving for work.

We understand that union members not covered by a legal mandate will be expected to turn up for
work by their employer. We understand that they may feel uncomfortable in doing so whilst
another union’s picket is in place. We also understand that in normal circumstances those
members manning pickets would ordinarily ask others not to cross their picket.

However, in a situation where some unions have mandates and others don’t, where strike action is
scheduled to take place by different unions on different dates, or where other trade unions are
conducting re-ballots in areas where others already have legal mandates, we understand that such
a request may put people in a difficult position.

For this reason we ask that all members respect the fact that some colleagues may have no option
but to cross a picket. This does not mean that those individuals do not support the action their
colleagues are taking, simply that they are not covered by a legal mandate that allows them to
strike at the same time. We are all part of the same fight to get a better pay deal from COSLA and
the Scottish Government.

We agree that all pickets will be operated peacefully and in line with the legal Code of Practice on
picketing. No member of any union will face intimidation or abuse by anyone manning any picket.

Please report, to your local steward, any circumstance in which these principles are not being
applied and the Joint Trade Union Secretaries will take action.

Best wishes,

Johanna Baxter                                                   Wendy Dunsmore                                  Keir Greenaway
SJC Joint Secretary                                            SJC Joint Secretary                               SJC Joint Secretary
UNISON                                                                  UNITE                                                         GMB