Peeblesshire News | News | Council staff all set for walk out

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Friday, 15th August, 2008 11:45

Council staff all set for walk out

By David O'Leary

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Scottish Borders Council will be hit by an all-out strike next week after union members voted to take industrial action over a pay dispute.

Members of the Unison, Unite and GMB unions will walk out after rejecting a pay rise of 2.5% each year for the next three years.

The national 24-hour walkout on Wednesday 20 August by council workers is expected to hit a range of services and will come two days after pupils return to their classes on Monday for the autumn term. It is not known yet which schools are to be affected

Other council services such as waste collection, libraries and leisure are

also expected to be disrupted.

Councillor Alec Nicol, Depute Leader of Scottish Borders Council, said: "Following national ballots, we have been notified of one day of strike action on Wednesday 20th August by the Unison, T&G and GMB unions over the national 2.5% cost of living pay increase offer.

"Our priority on the day of the strike will, of course, be to ensure that essential Council services continue to be delivered.

"To that end, the Council is currently in talks with the unions and we are hoping to secure exemptions from the strike action for members of staff working in crucial service areas including: residential homes for children and the elderly; social work's homelessness teams; critical home care; burials; emergency health and safety and emergency roads teams.

Unison branch secretary in the Borders, Karen Horsley, is expecting thousands of workers to strike and picket various council offices throughout the Borders.

She believes councils can find the extra money for staff and highlighted how her members had helped to deliver millions of pounds in efficiency savings over the last year.

She said:” We’re expecting a huge turnout on the day, the cost of living has risen sizeably and an improved offer is needed from councils. They have monies in unallocated reserves and it is time for members to share in the savings that they have made.

Scottish Trades Union Congress general secretary Grahame Smith gave his backing to the strike threat, and called for local authority employers to return to the negotiating table with an improved offer.

He added: "The ballot results reveal that local government employees are not prepared to accept an offer which would result in an ongoing effective deterioration of earnings for the next three years.

"The unions representing local government have now demonstrated to the employers and to the Scottish Government, that the existing offer falls far short of what could be considered reasonable in the current climate of rising costs.

"The STUC calls on the local government employers to return to the negotiating table with an improved offer which addresses the increases in living costs of those workers who provide the essential services to the most vulnerable in Scotland."

The last time council workers took industrial action was in March 2006 over

proposed changes to their pension plans. Picket lines were drawn up at various

council-run sites across the Borders and many council services were affected.

Council leader David Parker said that he would cross a picket line and moved to quell fears regarding the disruption of council services.

He said: “Only 29% of council staff are part of the union, which works out at around 1500 people. The vast majority of staff like myself will not be striking and services will not grind to a halt.

“I have some sympathy with the unions regarding the increased pay offer but local government only has so much funds. The offer on the table is reasonable and it will be difficult to resolve this issue.

“I think the only option is for the unions, local government and the Scottish government to sit down and try to resolve the issue. Maybe if a one year deal was accepted by all then we could thrash out a solution in that time.”

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