Joint Meeting between COSLA and Trade Unions with Scottish Government (Tuesday 30th July)
As agreed by Leaders from across Scotland’s councils last week, a constructive meeting took place on Tuesday (30th July) between the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann, with trade union partners from Unite, Unison, and GMB to seek additional funding from Scottish Government for pay.
Following the meeting, Councillor Katie Hagmann said:
“We welcomed the opportunity to jointly articulate the financial challenges facing local government in relation to meeting pay claims. It was an open and honest dialogue about how challenging the situation is in relation to council finances. It remains understood by all parties that pay negotiations remain between COSLA (as the Employer) and the Trade Unions. Whilst no immediate solution was identified, officers will now undertake further work at pace in the coming days to explore all options to avoid industrial action. However, I reiterated to the Cabinet Secretary the very limited options available to Local Government, and that any solution needs to be both affordable and sustainable.
"The Chancellor’s announcements about public sector pay were also discussed, as were the expectations that Ms Reeves has now set in relation to public sector pay. We did however acknowledge the Chancellor’s reference to multi-year budgets, and the opportunities this could present for a multi-year pay deal.
"COSLA remains committed to continuing our negotiations towards finding a solution as quickly as possible, seeking to do all we can to avoid industrial action and its damaging impact on our communities. Council Leaders value the local government workforce and their essential work across our communities, they recognise the workforce pressures and the need to reward equitably.”