Unison Suspends School Strikes Following Commitments from Scottish Government and Cosla

The council union Unison has declared a temporary cessation of pay-related strikes, following two weeks of industrial action at schools in Perth and Kinross. The union announced it has secured assurances from the Scottish government and the council body Cosla for discussions on pay, reduced working hours, and local government finance. Additionally, Unison has postponed its plans for a ballot of council workers across Scotland concerning strike action. Previously, GMB and Unite accepted an offer that provides staff with a pay increase of 67p per hour or 3.6%, whichever amount is greater. Unison stated that post-strike negotiations led to the government and local government body Cosla agreeing to engage in talks regarding a minimum hourly rate of £15 and a reduction in the working week. Unison intends to consult its members, recommending they finalize this year’s negotiations and proceed to substantial discussions for the 2025-26 period. Finance and Local Government Secretary Shona Robison expressed her “pleased” reaction that Unison is recommending its members agree to conclude this year’s pay negotiations and welcomed “their willingness to engage and reach agreement on this issue.” Collette Hunter, Unison’s local government chairwoman for Scotland, stated: “Perth and Kinross members working in education establishments and all our members who rejected the earlier offer have secured these fresh commitments from the Scottish government and councils.” She added: “Our members’ resolve and action has secured a route to a credible offer on pay before April 2025.” Hunter further remarked: “We have also got the Scottish government to come in the room with us and Cosla to seriously discuss £15 per hour, a reduction in the working week and the whole situation with council finances.” Katie Hagmann, resources spokeswoman for Cosla, commented that a priority had been to “work hard with trade union partners to find a solution” to the dispute. She declared: “We have listened to Unison’s asks in relation to non-pay elements and I am pleased that today we are able to formally respond to a number of their proposals.” Hagmann continued: “We have written to all three trade unions, supplementing and enhancing the already strong pay offer on the table, which has been accepted by GMB and Unite.” She added: “The letter sets out Cosla’s and the Scottish government’s shared commitment to make meaningful progress in key areas of interest to Unison.” While she emphasized that the pay rise “remains at the absolute limit of affordability” for councils “with no scope to increase its value,” Ms Hagman noted that the additional elements “meaningfully enhance and strengthen the package on offer.” She expressed: “We are hopeful that this will enable an agreement to be reached with trade unions partners and our pay negotiations to conclude.” Furthermore, she stated: “We have respectfully asked that Unison consider the strengthened offer and suspend any plans for future industrial action.” Ms Robison commented: “I hope that commitments from Cosla to deliver non-pay elements will encourage all three unions to reach a collective agreement and avoid further industrial action.“ She continued: “We are fully supportive of the approach set out by Cosla, which enhances the offer already accepted by Unite and GMB.“ Ms Robison also noted: “The Scottish government provided £77.5 million to support the pay offer, which represents the absolute limit of affordability.” The industrial actions, which impacted John Swinney’s constituency, were a clear cause of frustration for him, despite his usual composure. He expressed particular displeasure that his position as first minister resulted in the Perthshire community he represented experiencing the disruption associated with the industrial action. This dispute now appears to have concluded, a development that will likely bring him relief. The workers who participated in the strike, however, might be less content, as they have not secured the enhanced pay offer they originally pursued. Nevertheless, they have secured future discussions concerning pay, working conditions, and council finances, providing them with a tangible outcome. It is possible that their readiness to undertake industrial action will grant them increased influence in forthcoming negotiations.