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Response from Kate Forbes to our request for a meeting

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Kate Forbes, has responded to our request for a meeting with herself, the First Minister and COSLA to discuss LG finance and implications for pay – her response is attached for your information.  In short she has stated that she is not prepared to meet with us. You will be as appalled by this as we are.  We have issued the attached press release in response.

Kate Forbes response to trade-unions

UNISON Scotland Media release

UNISON to ballot 25,000 school staff and waste and recycling workers for strike over pay tomorrow, after Kate Forbes refuses offer of last-ditch talks

UNISON will start an industrial action ballot tomorrow (Friday 10 June) for 25,000 local government workers in schools, early years, waste and recycling across Scotland. The ballot will take 7 weeks and will close on 26 July. 

UNISON are recommending the workforce vote yes to strike action as the only way left to move the employer’s position.  They intend to shut schools across Scotland when children return after the school summer break.

In a last-ditch attempt to avert industrial action processes UNISON wrote to the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and Minister of Finance Kate Forbes, on 1 June to ask that they meet with the trade unions to discuss the funding for local authorities to improve the pay offer.

Kate Forbes has written to UNISON today and said ‘it would not be appropriate to interfere in these negotiations, given their devolved nature’ and that ‘it is therefore for you to negotiate with COSLA and ‘respectfully declined the tripartite meeting being proposed by COSLA’.

Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland head of local government said: “Local government workers have been offered a miserly 2%.  With inflation at a 40 year high this goes nowhere near compensating them for the cost-of-living crisis or the loss in the value of their pay following real terms pay cuts over a decade of austerity. This comes on the back of the Scottish government announcing cuts to public services that Margaret Thatcher would be proud of, in their recent spending review.” “The fact they will not sit down with COSLA and the trade unions to try and find a solution is a kick in the teeth to all local government workers. They have forgotten already who was educating our children, cleaning our communities, caring for our vulnerable and burying our dead throughout the pandemic. Local government workers keep society running. We have no option left and will ballot 25,000 school, nursery and waste and recycling workers tomorrow.”

Inflation and inequality briefing

Please view the attached a UNISON  briefing on inflation and inequality.

Inflation inequality briefing

UNISON’s low paid members know only too well how much prices are soaring, given they are among those unfairly hit hardest by the cost of living crisis. This briefing covers inflation, the differences between ways to measure it, and why it is vital we speak up on behalf of those members who face far higher inflation than the headline rates; in rocketing heating, food and other bills.

This all matters in pay negotiations at the best of times, even more so in this crisis. All our members deserve a decent pay increase, not real terms pay cuts as we face the biggest price rises in 40 years.

KEY POINTS:

• Inflation impacts more on those on the lowest incomes, with food and very high heating costs a much higher proportion of their budgets

• RPI is a better indicator of the costs facing workers than CPI (but it is due to be scrapped in 2030 in favour of CPIH)

• Soaring energy bills are a major factor in the cost of living crisis, causing rising fuel poverty – heat or eat

• People on benefits, disabled people & low paid workers, many of whom are women, are struggling to make ends meet, with food bank use rising & more need than ever for universal free school meals

• Pay rises and higher benefits are key

Audit Scotland report on local government

See the copy of the recent Audit Scotland report on local government which lays bare the financial challenges facing local authorities and the impact this is having on the workforce. 

This report contains some helpful stats on funding and vacancy levels – pages 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31 are the key sections.  

Audit Scotland Report on LG

Here is a copy of the press release we issued- https://unison-scotland.org/scottish-government-must-listen-to-account-commission-and-adequately-fund-council-services/

Spending Review 

The Scottish Government’s spending review (full document attached) brought no relief for local government, quite the opposite.  As you can see from table 1 of page 15 of the document the LG settlement is flatlined for this year and the following four – no account is taken for inflation or pay increases.  This will no doubt lead to significant cuts and takes us into the most challenging negotiating environment we have been in for some time.

The Scottish Government’s spending review