Council bosses have been accused of “blackmail” over claims an inflation-linked pay rise for staff risks 20,000 jobs.
Local authority umbrella group COSLA is proposing to sound the alarm over jobs after trade unions hit out at a two per cent offer.
Johanna Baxter, of UNISON union, said: “What sort of society do we live in when employers try to force the lowest paid public sector workers to take a derisory pay offer or face the threat of job losses? This is nothing short of blackmail.”
Wendy Dunsmore, of the Unite union, said: “Any suggestion that a fair and decent pay rise for local government workers will lead to job cuts is not only factually incorrect but it is offensive.
“COSLA has proven themselves spineless time after time and they have consistently capitulated to the Scottish Government instead of fighting for local government workers."
Tens of thousands of council staff are being balloted for strike action as part of a standoff on pay.
A walk out would include staff in waste and cleansing services as well as key workers in schools.
COSLA, which negotiates with the unions on pay, wants to offer more than two per cent but believes its hands are tied by the funding settlement offered by the Scottish Government.
A COSLA meeting will today consider a paper, obtained by the Record, focusing on the “impact on jobs” of a bigger rise without extra cash from the Government.
The proposed PR strategy states: “For context if we were to consider additional increases to the current offer of 2 per cent this could be expressed as the number of jobs that may be impacted.
“Any additional 1 per cent increase to our offer for these groups would cost the same as retaining 2,500 jobs (£90m). To match [trade union] expectations of a 10 per cent pay rise would mean adding 8 per cent on top of the current offer and would therefore equate to almost 20,000 jobs across all grades and services.”
It added: “Leaders are therefore asked to approve taking such an approach to future communications to highlight the impact of any revised offer that is made.”
Council chiefs are also anxious that the Government’s recent spending review by Cabinet Secretary Kate Forbes earmarked a council funding freeze until 2026.
Sources believe such a deal would inevitably lead to job losses and limit the scope for pay rises.
Pay settlements for council workers – excluding teachers – are a matter for COSLA and are determined through negotiations at the Scottish Joint Committee (SJC). As it is not a member of the SJC, the Scottish Government cannot intervene in pay negotiations, which are for the trade unions to negotiate with COSLA.
“Council staff play a crucial role in our communities as we rebuild the economy following the pandemic. We would encourage the parties to maintain dialogue and stay at the table to reach agreement.”
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