Council staff in Dumfries and Galloway accept new pay offer for next two years
Council staff in Dumfries and Galloway have accepted a new pay offer.
Unions claim the deal agreed by workers will be worth four per cent this year and a further 3.5 per cent this year.
Thw two-year pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has been accepted by members of Unison.
Unison Scotland local government committee chair, Suzanne Gens, said: 'It gives local government workers some financial security now they know their pay will be higher than inflation over the next couple of years.
'This has only been achieved because of the determination of council workers to demand better.'
Unite and GMB Scotland are still consulting members on whether to accepte the other.
A COSLA spokesperson said: 'I'm pleased that Unison members have voted to accept the two-year pay offer from COSLA. The offer is worth four per cent in year one which will be backdated to 1st April 2025, and a further 3.5 per cent increase in year two from April 1, 2026.
'In putting forward this strong, two-year offer council leaders recognise the value our employees in Scotland's councils deliver every day.
'We know that the two other unions – Unite and GMB – have still to complete the balloting of members. If they are in favour of acceptance councils will be able to take forward work to get the pay increase of 7.64 per cent over the two-year period into the pockets of our workforce.'
Last year's pay dispute saw council staff in Perth and Kinross – the constituency of First Minister John Swinney - go on strike, with waste workers also threatening to down tools, before it was eventually resolved in November.
Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: 'Although the Scottish Government has no formal role in local government pay negotiations, we recognise the importance of an agreement being reached by Cosla – as the employer – and trade unions.
'I would urge members of Unite and GMB to join Unison members in recognising the clear benefit of this offer so that all workers can get the pay they deserve without delay.'
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