GMB members accept schools pay deal as Unison rejection mean strikes loom

Members of the GMB union have voted to accept a pay deal for workers in non-teaching roles in schools.

The union said 62% of those balloted backed the deal, which was rejected by Unison on Monday, meaning rolling strikes are still going ahead in some local authority areas.

GMB suspended planned strikes in schools and early years centres to allow members to decide on the revised offer from Cosla, which represents Scotland’s local authorities.

Keir Greenway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, said 62% of members working in councils supported the deal.

He said it means low-paid workers being given a minimum increase of £1.04 per hour, as well as a minimum increase of £1 per hour for all other colleagues.

Mr Greenway said: “Our members have now backed this offer which will deliver a fair pay rise for all council workers, but particularly those on the lowest salaries.

“It is not a perfect offer but is a good one and it was right our members, who were ready to strike in support of fair pay, were given the chance to vote on it.

“We have been assured no council services or jobs will be cut to fund this pay offer and will continue to ensure those assurances are kept.”

Mr Greenaway said the current process, which resulted in the threat of strike action from three different unions, was too long.

He said: “That it took the threat of strike action for Cosla to make an offer which could and should have been on the table months ago is frustrating and regrettable.

“Pay negotiations do not have to be like this.

“Instead of getting a fair pay offer and the money in their banks, our members have been asked to endure months of inaction, needless delay, and all the melodrama of deadlines and last-minute offers.

“The Scottish Government and Cosla need to sit down with the unions to find a better way of negotiating and ensuring these discussions are done with a sense of urgency and fairness that has been absolutely lacking in recent months.”

On Monday, Unison said dates for a rolling programme of strikes in schools and nurseries would be announced within days after 89.9% of members voted to reject the latest pay offer for school support staff.

The strikes follow industrial action by Unison members in 24 local authorities last month, leading to school and nursery closures across much of the country.

Councillor Katie Hagmann, Cosla’s resources spokesperson, welcomed the move to accept the vote.

She said: “I am delighted with today’s response from members of both the GMB and UNITE trade unions in voting to accept the strong offer Cosla has on the table.

“Their Union negotiators also deserve a great deal of credit for the pragmatic approach they took in recommending acceptance to their respective memberships.

“It is pleasing that these two trade unions see the value Scotland’s council leaders place on our workforce.

“We have listened to our trade unions, met all their asks, and worked with the Scottish Government to put an incredibly strong half-a-billion-pound pay package forward.”

She added: “When you extrapolate the votes across all unions it shows that only around one local government worker in five (excluding teachers) has voted to reject the strong pay offer presented.

“Significantly, membership of the two unions who have accepted predominantly comprises those in lower-paid roles across local government and this is where we were asked to focus the deal.

“This is a realistic response from the two trade unions who have recognised that not only have we as employers targeted those workers on the lowest pay as they requested, but they have also recognised that as employers we have gone as far as we can go without impacting service and jobs.

“These are not empty words – we have put our very best and final offer to the unions – councils have been more than fair in this strong offer and the GMB and UNITE unions have done well in accepting it without the need to take industrial action.

“Both GMB and UNITE have recognised the reality of where we are at this time, on behalf of their memberships, and that is a positive outcome for all.”

The Scottish Government was contacted for comment.