Author: Stirling Websites

My name is Lorraine Thomson and like you, I am a UNISON member, and I am employed by Stirling Council as an Early Years educator.

I am also you Branch Secretary and the Chair of UNISON Scotland’s Education Issues Group. I am writing to you as all members that work within a school setting should have received your Local Government pay ballot which is in a blue envelope. If you have not received your ballot, then you need call the ballot helpline on the following number.

Call the ballot helpline on 0800 0 857 857. This Helpline will be open from 8am Mon-Fri and will close at 12 noon on the 20th July 2022.

I want to draw your attention to the following information in this letter as it is important that you are clear on why this ballot is so important, why it is crucial, if you are within the work group being balloted at this time that you ensure you have received your ballot and why you need to return your ballot paper. I also want to further make clear that all members taking strike action will be financially supported by UNISON.

Many services are still recovering and feeling the effects from the pandemic, Holyrood continues to underfund councils, and our employers umbrella body COSLA fail to provide local government workers with an above inflation pay rise during a cost-of-living crisis.

In real terms what you have been offered is effectively a pay cut and not a pay rise, when inflation is considered.

The services provided by council workers make a decent society possible. We are not a drain on our society, but an achievement.

UNISON members deserve a fair pay rise. Our heating costs have gone up. Our food costs have gone up. Our fuel costs have gone up and for many their Mortgages have gone up! I guess what I am trying to say is the cost of everything has gone up, with the exception of our pay.

That is why our members in Waste have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action on behalf of all Council workers on the 10^th, 11^th, 12^th and 13^th August 2023. We are now balloting all members that work in Education within a school. Only Early Years workers that are based within a school/school campus are being balloted. Those that work in a standalone Early Years setting that does not sit within a school campus/setting are not being balloted at this stage.

Your ballot will arrive in the post in a purple envelope,

The ballot will close 25^th August 2023, any received after this date would be invalidated. With your hard-earned annual leave, and school holidays around the corner, this closing date may approach very quickly so please “Don’t Delay – Return Today”

UNISON members working in waste services in Stirling and Perth and
Kinross are on strike for fair pay.
UNISON are balloting school staff across Scotland for strike action. We
recommend you vote YES for strike. But whatever you think Vote!
Your ballot is in a PURPLE envelop.
Despite our efforts COSLA have not improved their April pay offer, which
UNISON members overwhelminglyrejected in a consultative ballot.

COSLA say they don’t have the cash to improve their offer but will not
approach Scottish Government for additional funding.
COSLA want to see if we can beat anti-trade union strike thresholds. We
did it last year and can do it again this year.
If members vote to strike, any action will take place after the summer break
but before the October holidays.

Ballot closes 25th August

School staff – Look out for your purple envelope.

Vote YES for strike ballot, closes 25 August 2023

Step 1. OPEN your envelope

Step 2. Choose YES to vote

Step 3. POST your ballot

#yesforstrike #payupforcouncilstaff

LG Pay Update

UNISON Scotland  served notice on 2 local authorities of strike dates for waste and recycling members. The dates our Waste Workers in Stirling and Perth and Kinross taking industrial action for all Local Authority members are as follows 10^th Aug, 11^th Aug, 12^th Aug and the 13^th Aug 2023.

We are now also moving to ballot our members Schools/Early Years (only early years members that work within a school setting/campus will be balloted at this stage. (Standalone Early Years staff are not being balloted at this stage.) The ballot for these members opens the 31^st July and will close on the 25^th August 2023. Those being balloted will receive their ballot in a PURPLE envelope.

We are also working on supporting materials/advice to members taking action and resources for those who are not so they can demonstrate their support for those Workers taking action on their behalf. It is crucial all members show your support for those taking action for a fairer pay deal for all Council workers. Please see below.

Further information on all of that will follow asap – you will appreciate that things are moving at pace at the moment but we will, as always we will communicate any developments as soon as we have more detail.

UNISON members not wasting their time considering a pitiful pay offer

With spiralling  inflation, food and energy costs remaining at unprecedented  high levels  UNISON members in waste  vote overwhelmingly to take industrial action over pay

In what has been described as an unprecedentedly high return in Stirling Council, members voted  98.41% in favour to take industrial action

Lorraine Thomson,  UNION Branch Secretary  said “given the challenges our members are facing and what amount to a pay cut on the table I expected a vote in favour to take action , but I am surprised at such a high turnout and an almost unanimous vote in favour”

Lorraine went on to say “We understand the other TUs first wave ballots close at the beginning of next week and we have a meeting with them on Monday where we’ll discuss what mandates we all have and next steps re action”. 

UNISON will keep our members informed of developments.

A ballot for UNISON members in education is set to open towards the end of July 2023

As you will be aware we are currently balloting members in our Waste and Recycling Services to take action on behalf of all Local Government Workers regarding Pay.

UNISON Scotland will now also be balloting members in schools and the ballot will open during the school holidays and close after the return with any action taking place after the summer break but before the October holidays.  For clarity, we are balloting all members employed in schools for the delivery or support of education (e.g. cooks, cleaners, janitors, school admin, SLA’s etc).  Members based in schools but not providing school services are not being balloted.  Members in EY establishments that are co-located within a school are included in the ballot but stand-alone Early Years establishments are not at this stage. Other local government staff who happen to be located in a school, but who are not directly involved with the running of a school e.g. social workers, are not included.

It is crucial that all member’s contact details are up to date i.e. address, e-mail, and telephone contact numbers. Members can update their details by accessing their My UNISON account or by calling UNISON on 0800 0 857 857.

All other local government members

The groups selected above would be taking action on behalf of all local government workers and will need your support and solidarity. 

• Help us get the word out! UNISON is leading the fight for better pay for all local government work­ers – help share our campaign messages.
• Help us speak to colleagues who are being balloted to stress the importance of them returning their ballot paper – sign up to call colleagues by contacting your local branch.
• Talk to your colleagues in the workplace about the importance of voting yes to take strike action.
• Add our campaign materials to your social media feeds.
• Introduce your colleagues to UNISON – the more members we have the louder our voice at the ne­gotiating table. They can join https://join.unison.org.uk

Questions & answers

1. Why can’t I vote online?

Legislation governing industrial action stipulates that a formal industrial action ballot must be con­ducted by post.

2. Why should I vote for strike action?

The current offer is made up of two parts:

• a 5% full year increase on all Spinal Column Points (SCP) from 1 April 2023
• plus an additional, grade dependent, increase from 1 January 2024.

This additional amount would be:

• An additional £0.45 on SCP2 to SCP18 (annual full-time salary of circa £20,933) and the underpinning Scottish Local Government Living Wage rate. This will raise the SLGLW by £0.99 over the course of the financial year.
• An additional 2.5% on SCP19 to SCP43 (annual full-time salary of circa £28,862), with smoothing consisting of slightly higher uplifts applied to SCP19, 20, and 21.
• An additional 1.5% up on SCP44 to SCP64 (annual full-time salary of circa £38,585).
• An additional 1% on SCP 65 and above.

3. Why are we asking members to take industrial action?

UNISON local government committee is asking members to take industrial action because:-

• Falls short of the Joint Trade Union’s claim, which was submitted on 26th January 2023.
• Falls far short of the current rate of inflation, which remains above 10%. It would therefore amount to a real-terms pay cut for our members during the current cost of living crises and as such will plunge more of them into debt.
• For those on the lowest pay, falls short of the offer made to local government workers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
• Has a cost envelope that falls short of that which has applied to other areas of the public sector.
• Fails to address other items contained within our claim including any real proposals to move to a minimum rate of pay of £15 per hour.

4. Will I get any financial support if I vote to take strike action?

Yes, all members taking strike action will be financially supported by UNISON. Further details will follow.
I am employed on multiple contracts with my local authority – am I being balloted to take strike action in all my roles?
You are only being balloted on your role as an employee working in Waste services, for the purpose of pro­viding services to the running and operation in waste and recycling services.
I’m not being balloted for strike action – what can I do to show my support for the campaign?

There are a number of things you can do to show support for the campaign and it is important that you do so colleagues included in the ballot know that you stand with them.

You can:

• Help us get the word out! UNISON is leading the fight for better pay for all local government work­ers – help share our campaign messages.
• Help us speak to colleagues who are being balloted to stress the importance of them returning their ballot paper – sign up to call colleagues by contacting your local branch.
• Talk to your colleagues in the workplace about the importance of voting yes to take strike action.
• Share our campaign materials on your social media feeds. You can access these here.
• Recruit your colleagues to UNISON – the more members we have the louder our voice at the ne­gotiating table. They can join https://join.unison.org.uk

Please also see the media coverage yesterday we hope will put pressure on Leaders to improve their offer when they meet today – https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/23621035.scottish-school-strike-closures-loom-council-pay-dispute-impasse/