Title

PAY

Warning council staff could strike again within weeks

Local government workers in Scotland could be back on strike within weeks, trade unions have warned.

Local government workers in Scotland could be back on strike within weeks, trade unions have warned.

UNISON, Unite and GMB have said there is confusion over some of the offered elements and staff are yet to receive the agreed pay increase in their pay packets.

The unions suspended strike action following the new pay offer made by COSLA on 2nd September. However, some elements of the deal such as extra days leave and the payment of payment of SSSC registration fees have only been offered for a year and not in perpetuity.

The unions have written to COSLA warning strike mandates remain live and they will lift the strike suspensions if a resolution is not made quickly.

Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland head of local government said: 'This is appalling behaviour – either the employer did not even understand the offer they themselves were making or they did and are now trying to renegue on it before its even been implemented. Either way it will be our members that suffer if they are allowed to get away with it.

'We have made clear to the employer and the Scottish Government that our strike mandates remain live and all three trade unions are under increasing pressure from members, who are rapidly losing faith in their employer, to lift the strike suspensions if a resolution and call members out if a resolution is not achieved quickly.'

PAY

Devolution's next challenge: Building capable places

By Thomas Johnson | 07 October 2026

Thomas Johnson looks at what Greater Manchester’s experience suggests about the next stage of devolution and rewiring the state.

PAY

LGR pause could leave local authority staff in a state of flux

By Matthew Gregson | 06 October 2026

Matthew Gregson says that amid the uncertainty around reorganisation, council leadership needs to be receptive to the needs of their employees while showing ...

PAY

Strategic authorities: Staying off the ropes

By Dan Peters | 29 September 2026

Dan Peters assesses Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority’s progress under mayor Luke Campbell, and asks how new strategic authorities can get off to a ...

PAY

The analogue landline switch-off: why councils must act now to protect their communities

By Professor Sultan Mahmud | 24 September 2026

With the UK’s PSTN switch-off approaching, councils need to identify hidden analogue dependencies, says director of health and communities, business, at BT B...

Popular articles by Laura Sharman

-->