Threat of further school strikes over as Unison staff accept latest pay deal

Unison was the last union to reach a deal for their members who work as support staff in Scottish schools.

School support workers have voted to accept an increased pay offer (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Wire)

Industrial action which saw thousands of children across Scotland miss out on days of school will come to an end after support staff voted to accept a new pay deal.

The long-running pay dispute has been brought to a close after Unison members voted to accept an improved pay offer following strike action last month.

Members of Unison across all of Scotland’s councils voted to accept the latest offer by a margin of 69.6% to 30.4% among those who voted and the raise will be backdated to April 2023.

Unison was the last union to accept a pay deal after the Unite and GMB unions had already agreed to a deal.

The accepted offer has various improvements on rejected ones including a timetable for all local government staff to be paid a minimum of £15 per hour by 2026, and the full deal being backdated to April 2023 rather than some uplifts only happening in January 2024.

Last week, the union released a report showing members who work in schools are having to purchase necessary items for pupils, despite struggling with rising living costs themselves.

Johanna Baxter, Unison Scotland’s head of local government, said: “This deal is long overdue and was hard fought for by Unison members.

“Cosla urgently need to review the bargaining process to ensure that future pay negotiations progress quickly and with as little disruption as possible.

“The improvements secured by Unison in these negotiations help address low pay and support those in the squeezed middle.

It was Unison members who stood on picket lines to fight for this improved deal. It was Unison negotiators who brokered it

Johanna Baxter, Unison

“Delivering a minimum rate of pay of £15 per hour for all local government workers by April 2026 will go a long way to tackling low pay and will make a real different to people’s lives.

“Backdating the full offer to April 1 2023 means those on very modest incomes are protected during the cost-of-living crisis, too.

“It was Unison members who stood on picket lines to fight for this improved deal. It was Unison negotiators who brokered it.

“And it will be Unison that fights to ensure that all of the commitments it contains are delivered in full.

“And government at local and national level should be aware that we aren’t going to be bullied into believing its council staff expecting fair pay that threatens services and jobs by a Government proposing a financially feckless, council tax freeze.”

Local authority employers’ umbrella body, Cosla, said the offer totals £500 million.

Katie Hagmann, Cosla’s resources spokeswoman, said: “It is great to finally get this deal over the line.

“I am pleased with today’s news that Unison members have joined their GMB and Unite colleagues in voting to accept the strong offer from Cosla.

“Throughout this challenging process, we have listened carefully to our trade unions, met all their asks, and worked with Scottish Government to put an incredibly strong half a billion pound pay package forward. 

“For the sake of everyone in our local government workforce, who are delivering essential front-line services, I am pleased that the pay offer has now been accepted by all of our trade union colleagues.”