Council workers in strike ballot

Council craft workers are being balloted on strike action

Scotland's biggest union, Unite, has sent out strike ballot papers to council workers across the country.

The union said craft workers such as plumbers, electricians and plasterers were not being treated equally with other local authority workers.

It said they worked 39 hours a week whereas comparable workers in England and Wales work a 37-hour week.

The employers organisation said a pay offer had been rejected and the union had shown no interest in negotiating.

Unite said it rejected a pay offer of 2.45% because it said other workers for Scottish local authorities got more.

Five years ago other local authority workers in Scotland had their hours reduced from 39 to 37 without any loss of pay.

They have shown no interest in re-opening negotiations with us Joe Di Paola Cosla

Unite national officer, John Allot, said: "We are demanding that Scottish local authorities put an end to the unequal treatment of our members.

"Local authority craft workers currently work alongside other colleagues who work fewer hours and received a higher pay deal this year.

"This is totally unacceptable and the union has no choice but to ballot its members for strike action because of this unequal treatment."

The 2,554 workers maintain council properties including, schools, houses and public buildings.

'Naturally disappointed'

Joe Di Paola, from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), said: "The craft unions rejected an offer of 2.45% for the year 2007 to 2008 in January, stating that they intended to ballot for industrial action.

"Since then they have shown no interest in re-opening negotiations with us.

"As employers we are always prepared to continue discussions and to explore means by which we can reach agreement.

"We are therefore naturally disappointed that the trade unions have started out on the course of possible strike action.

"Particularly when the offer made in January remains at the top end of public sector offers made in the current pay round."

He added: "Craft operatives are a distinct negotiating group in Scottish local government. Other local authority employees obtained a 37-hour week as part of a larger negotiation paving the way for radical pay and grading reform.

"The craft operatives were not part of this negotiation and have shown no interest in entering into a similar deal involving modernisation of their remuneration arrangements."