TRADE union members representing Scottish Water employees warned that “it feels like they’re trying to pull the wool over the union’s eyes” as industrial action continued last week.
Representatives from GMB and Unite the Union have expressed frustration as the company’s chief executive has not attended pay meetings, and the pay offers proposed to workers “have effectively meant a wage cut”.
Sam Ritchie, regional officer for Unite the Union, said there was an “excellent” strike turnout last week.
“There was good weather and good spirits. I think there’s also a lot of anger towards Scottish Water and the way that they’ve treated their workers,” he said.
The pay dispute began in July 2024, with surveyed trade union members asking for a flat pay rise of £3000 before strike action took place.
Following negotiations, Unite members were balloted in October of last year and rejected a pay increase of £1200 from Scottish Water.
A pay rise of £1400 was rejected by members in December, which Scottish Water said was its final offer. Since then, it has “refused to budge”.
ACAS, a human resources consultancy that Scottish Water used to aid negotiations, reportedly asked Scottish Water to return to the negotiation table with a new offer for employees.
Claire Greer, GMB Scotland organiser, said: “The last ACAS meeting instructed them [Scottish Water] to give one simple pay offer, and one red line for trade unions was that the offer would be no less than it was before.
“This was agreed in good faith, but Scottish Water, combined with ACAS instructions, gave the exact same offer bar £125 in the first year. We’re tied in knots, it’s a long, drawn-out, complicated offer that they keep putting on the table.”
Greer added that Scottish Water is refusing to negotiate on the first year of the pay deal after unions rejected Scottish Water’s pay offer for 2024-2025, now only focusing on pay for 2025-2026.
“This went from being a very simple dispute, to a dispute that is centred around Scottish Water wanting to explain, re-explain, and re-explain again how to do negotiations, and that’s not what we want,” she added.
“Scottish Water is very good at holding meetings and talking at its staff, not letting them ask any questions, and saying that it has consulted with staff. That’s not how you consult with staff, and that’s not how you negotiate”.
The frustration is shared by Ritchie, who says that management is “out of touch with reality”, and that Scottish Water’s chief executive has not been present at pay deal meetings with unions.
“Alex Plant received, with his salary and his remuneration package combined, just below half a million pounds,” he said.
“For someone who receives such a large package, I would at least expect that he’d get around the table and listen to the voices of his workers, rather than just those voices that are a part of the board.”
Within his first 10 months in his role as chief executive, Plant received £483,000 from his salary, performance bonuses and benefits, and pension combined.
Ritchie added that “the arrogance of management is also shocking”, and that Plant “should be treating his workers with dignity and respect”.
“Managers at Scottish Water negotiate their own contracts privately, as they’re above pay grade eight. Managers are offered bonuses to retain talent, but what about the workers on the front line?”
The change in Scottish Water’s pay anniversary has also proved to be an issue, with the change itself being approved by trade unions, but the way it has changed the pay offer was not.
The 3.4% raise that Scottish Water claimed would be provided came in the form of £1400 for July 2024 to March 2025, but since the change in anniversary date, this has changed to the raise being spread over 12 months, which unions say makes the raise only 2.8%, or £1050 for Scottish Water employees on pay grades 1-6.
On the change the proposed offer would make to workers, trade unions agree that this would not be substantial, with Greer saying: “Look at the rising cost of household bills, mortgages, rent, that £1400 is not meeting any of that.”
Ritchie added: “The numbers don’t add up, it feels like they’re trying to pull the wool over the unions’ eyes.”
Scottish Water’s chief operating officer, Peter Farrer, said: “No one benefits from industrial action and our focus is on continuing to deliver for our millions of customers across Scotland.
“Our above-inflation pay proposal is fair and progressive, prioritising the highest percentage increases in the business for those on the lowest salary grades – money that should be in employees’ pockets now.
“We met with ACAS and the trade unions on April 15 to explore options to resolve the current dispute. Following that, we made a different, further improved proposal in an effort to reach an agreement.
“This is a good proposal and we are disappointed that union officials have not shared it with their members and given them the opportunity to vote on the offer in a ballot.
“We urge the unions to get back round the negotiating table as soon as possible.”
On the “progressive” offer, Greer said: “We completely disagree, and that’s our members, the joint trade unions, GMB, everyone that’s providing support is in complete disagreement with this.
“There are other public bodies across the pay sector that have gone on strike for higher pay offers than this, we’ve yet to find a pay offer lower than this.”
Ritchie backed this claim: “The NHS were offered 5.5%, the Irish equivalent to Scottish Water were offered 5.5% or £1500 to all staff, we’re seeing failing water companies down south get offered 4%.”
On returning to the table, Greer said: “The trade unions haven’t left the table, we’ve been open to any offer or suggestion, we’ve not backed ourselves into a corner here, we’re not being precious about what we’re willing to do. But we won’t come back for the same offer, that’s just a waste of everyone’s time.
“There’s no time for trickery and sleight of hand when it comes to pay talks. Everyone’s there for the same reason, everyone wants these people back at work, so let’s do it properly.”
Industrial action is set to continue, with the next strikes taking place on May 2 and 6 across Scotland.
Greer confirmed that “workers right across the whole spectrum of jobs at Scottish Water, from the daily admin and office type roles right out to the more industrial roles” will be on strike.
