Unison urges Glasgow City Council staff to reject pay package

The largest union at Glasgow City Council has said the proposed package “does not go far enough” as balloting starts on Monday.

Unison’s Glasgow City branch is recommending staff reject the package as it says there is not enough money to reduce the detriment facing lower-grade staff.

The union has said thousands of members are also being asked to vote before their jobs have been evaluated.

Unison Glasgow City branch secretary Chris Sermanni said: “While the proposed deal includes some important protections secured through negotiations, the package does not go far enough and we are recommending members vote to reject it.

“There’s not enough money on the table to address the losses facing staff in lower grades.

“And with thousands of jobs still to be evaluated, many members are being asked to vote without knowing what the proposals will mean for them.

“That’s not good enough.

“Unison fought hard for the Scottish government’s involvement in negotiations and secured an extended three years’ pay protection for all workers.

“But important questions remain unanswered and members deserve to understand what the proposals mean for them before being asked to accept it.”

The package comes after the council announced plans at the beginning of the month that they would consider firing and rehiring more than 23,000 staff.

The ballot opened on Monday and will run until November 23.

Unison regional organiser Mandy McDowall said: “Unison Glasgow City branch voted narrowly to reject this package.

“It was an incredibly difficult decision, as we have made significant progress and many members stand to benefit from these proposals, particularly low-paid women.

“It has taken many years fighting for equal pay to eradicate Glasgow City Council’s discriminatory pay scheme.

“Yet, while we have secured major gains for staff, the current proposals still leave far too many workers behind.

“Until we can be assured that all staff receive the same pay protections and that every worker understands how they will be affected, this offer falls short of what council staff deserve.”

Glasgow City Council Leader Councillor Ricky Bell said: “The deal on the table is the best it can be.

“It sees wages stay the same or rise for 90% of our staff, it contains hundreds of millions of pounds in back pay, and we have three years of protection for staff who are losing.

“Most important we will finally do away with the discrimination we have perpetuated against our own staff for two decades.

“It is vital that all union members vote to approve this package so that we can get on with making the back payments and ending the discrimination.”