Unison, GMB and Unite have confirmed strikes next week in cleaning and school services have been suspended as they prepare to propose the latest deal to their members. Discussions with COSLA leaders resumed on Friday morning after Thursday’s meeting lasted late into the night. The new deal will see a £2,000 rise for workers earning up to £20,500 – meaning a 10% rise for most. The new deal will see a £2,000 rise for workers earning up to £20,500 – meaning a 10% rise for most. Those earning between £20,500 and £39,000 will receive £1,925. Higher earners will be given a 5% rise with a cap of £3,000 for those paid over £60,000. Staff will also receive an extra day off and work a shorter week. The First Minister said it was a “good deal” as she thanked both COSLA and the unions for their role in the negotiations. Sturgeon said workers deserved fair pay in “these really difficult times”, but warned the £600m total cost would mean cuts elsewhere. “There is no bottomless pit of money,” he told STV News. “When we said that there was no money that was not allocated, it was correct. Getting to that point will mean the Scottish Government has to take money from other parts of our budget to fund it. “But we judge it as important. Council workers across the country deliver vital public services and do so at a time of soaring inflation and, like everyone else, are struggling to make ends meet.” Sturgeon said Deputy First Minister John Sweeney, who also acts as finance minister, would outline the government’s economic plans next week. “Something has to give, we will have difficult decisions to make,” warned the Prime Minister. Unison’s head of local government, Johanna Baxter, said: “It took eight months and the industrial strength of Unison’s schools and early years members and waste and recycling workers to pull £600 million from the Scottish Government and COSLA and in the pockets of working people. “COSLA first offered 2%, then 3.5%, then 5% – now we have £600m on the table, which is a 7.5% increase in the overall wage bill and 87% of council workers will receive the full consolidated increases between 5% and 10%’. Further strikes by waste workers were planned for next week, with staff at many local authorities expected to walk out for eight days. School and early years education workers were also to take part in a three-day strike in some areas. However, Scotland’s biggest union has announced that its action has been suspended. Councilor resource officer Katie Hagmann COSLA thanked the unions for the “constructive” discussions. “The revised offer shows that Scottish council leaders have listened to the concerns of our workforce and responded positively,” he said. “Council leaders have been consistent throughout these negotiations that we greatly value and are grateful to the local government workforce. “We have sent letters to our colleagues following today’s meeting and we hope this will allow the strike to be suspended and allow our workforce to get back to doing what they do best, providing high quality essential services for people in our communities in all of Scotland.” Having received the new offer, committees of union representatives will discuss whether to accept it or not. The Prime Minister personally intervened in talks with local authority leaders and unions on Thursday amid mass strikes in council services. Previously, Sturgeon said all options for making more funding available amid ongoing strikes had been “exhausted”. The previous COSLA offer included a minimum pay rise of £1,925, based on a 37-hour working week, matching the offer made to local government in England. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the Scottish Government would provide an extra £100m to local government in 2022-23 to support cost-of-living payments offered as part of pay on top of the £140m they already have allocated.
