Pay dispute call ahead of strike

Unions have described the 2.5% offer as a pay cut

Unions have called on the Scottish Government to intervene in a pay dispute which is due to trigger strike action among council workers next week.

Union members voted to take industrial action on Wednesday over a pay offer of 2.5% for each of the next three years.

The Unite union called on ministers to "provide adequate funding" to local authority employers to address low pay.

The Scottish Government said it had provided record funding for councils in a "tight financial climate".

Unite, Unison and the GMB unions said all council services, such as schools, cleansing, housing, home care and libraries, would be disrupted by the stoppage.

We urge employers and unions to continue to talk to agree a settlement Scottish Government spokesman

Jimmy Farrelly, Unite's regional official, said: "People are already struggling to keep on top of mortgage repayments and rent rises but this pay offer will see our members suffer a huge cut in their living standards.

"Local government workers are the victims not the cause of inflation and should not be made to take the burden.

"It is now the responsibility of the Scottish Government to intervene to provide adequate funding to local authority employers to address the low pay issues."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "It is for local authorities to agree a pay settlement with their staff and this can only be done through negotiation.

"Industrial action would be disruptive to communities and we therefore urge employers and unions to continue to talk to agree a settlement."

Stephanie Herd, from Unison, said workers were striking reluctantly.

'Pay cut'

"We apologise for any disruption to those services and we hope the public knows that our members need to be treated fairly," she said.

"They are angry that the employers want to lock them into 2.5% increases for the next three years while inflation is way ahead of that already and set to continue rising.

"The 2.5% pay offer is already a pay cut."

The planned Scottish walkout follows a similar action last month by local government staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scottish Government civil servants also staged a pay strike last month.

Pickets will be set up and there will be rallies in Glasgow, Paisley, Inverurie, Motherwell, Dundee and Inverness.