Union reps fighting for better pay for frontline council workers have revealed members are already living in poverty despite working full-time.
GMB chiefs have warned that members can barely afford to keep their families, with Renfrewshire organiser Kirsten Muat warning: “It’s not just our members this affects but their families as well.
“We have taken devastating calls from members telling us they can’t afford to live ... and these are people who are working full time.”
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The warning comes as they urge local authorities to up the two per cent pay offer for workers or face strike action.
The well-documented cost of living crisis has sparked fury among workers after low pay offers were tabled.
CoSLA has offered just two per cent to frontline workers as inflation climbs to 9.1 per cent and bills including food, fuel and energy soar, hitting workers in the pocket.
Unions including the GMB, Unison and Unite balloted members in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire for strike action in the wake of the low offer tabled on behalf of councils by umbrella body the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA).
GMB bosses have warned that members in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire will withdraw services as part of strike action if the offer is not upped after a ballot received enough backing.
Kirsten says she has heard firsthand stories of in-work poverty in Renfrewshire, saying: “I have heard of one member who is splitting up with a partner and has given more custody of the kids than she felt she wanted to because she was worried about being able to afford to keep them.
“These are the sort of stories we are hearing from people who are working.”
Education and environmental workers are represented in the ballot, meaning schools could close and residents face waste piling up.
The warning came as a crunch CoSLA talks, featuring local council finance chiefs, took place yesterday.
Unite members are also set to take action and Unison members in East Renfrewshire also voted in favour - although the public sector workers’ union did not receive enough support in favour from members in Renfrewshire.
Now the GMB has warned political leaders that tens of thousands of frontline staff are at risk of working poverty unless the two per cent offer improves dramatically.
The union also urged the Scottish Government to take greater responsibility for the ongoing pay row.
Union chiefs say the offer currently on the table is currently the lowest anywhere in the UK public sector.
GMB Scotland senior organiser Keir Greenaway said: “Tens of thousands of local government workers are at real risk of falling into working poverty this winter unless a significantly improved pay offer that confronts this cost-of-living crisis is tabled for their consultation – that’s the warning we are sending to political leaders.
“Despite the Deputy First Minister’s plea to the UK Government for more money, the Scottish Government have been content to play politics before when it comes to finding additional support for other areas of our public services, so they can’t divert from the responsibilities they do have.”
A spokesperson for CoSLA defended its position, saying: “CoSLA leaders are clear that they value hugely the Local Government workforce, which is why discussions with our trade union colleagues continue, in order to reach an agreement and avoid strike action.
“As employers we have a responsibility to ensure that any pay deal offered is both sustainable and affordable and that is why we are unable to go beyond the current offer at this point.
“As mandated by leaders, we are currently in discussions with Scottish Government and await their response to Leaders’ request for additional funding.”
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