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Daily Record
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Ayrshire Scottish Water workers walk out in pay dispute as strike action resumes
Strike action at Scottish Water sites in Ayrshire has resumed following a dispute over pay Scottish Water employees from across Ayrshire have walked out yesterday morning as a dispute over pay escalates. Workers from three unions have all rejected the latest pay deal from Scottish Water and industrial action is set to continue for the rest of this week. Unite the Union, the GMB and Unison members at the Camphill Wastewater Treatment Works near Kilbrinie, Cumnock Underwood Wastewater Treatment Works and Irvine Meadowhead Wastewater Treatment Work are all taking part in the strikes. Scottish Water have said that the strike action is "unnecessary" and that their latest proposal would see an average pay increase of around seven per cent over two years. However, the unions have said the "marginally improved" offer no longer included a "£200 performance-related bonus" which was part of the reason they initially agreed to postpone scheduled action on Friday, May 2 and Tuesday, May 6. They have also said that Scottish Water's counterparts in Northern Ireland received a £1,500 non-consolidated payment and a five per cent wage rise in December. The strikes have the potential to directly impact Scottish Water's ability to respond to water leakages, flooding, pollution and quality concerns. Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: 'Scottish Water executives are short-changing their workers and the Scottish people while they laugh all the way to the bank with their eye-watering pay packages. 'Our members will not be forced into accepting a pay offer which has barely moved an inch since October last year. 'Unite continues to stand with our members in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions at Scottish Water.' Sam Ritchie, Unite industrial officer, added: 'Unite's members at Scottish Water have overwhelmingly rejected the latest wage offer. It amounted to a marginal improvement which was totally unacceptable. 'Management also withdrew an offer to increase a performance related bonus which has further infuriated the workforce. 'For months Scottish Water has had the opportunity to make a fair and reasonable offer to our members, and they have consistently refused to do so. 'The chief executive, Alex Plant, has refused to become involved in pay negotiations while walking away with a publicly-funded pay package worth nearly half a million pounds. 'The strike action will go ahead next week over seven days because of Scottish Water's indifference and arrogance towards its workers.' Patricia McArthur, Unison's Scottish Water branch secretary, said: 'Staff are extremely frustrated. They deserve better than game-playing by senior Scottish Water managers. 'The company seems more interested in spending public money on anti-union tactics than in finding a solution to this pay dispute. 'Its managers proposed a possible pay offer, but then retracting it, only to come up with something much worse." Simon Macfarlane, Unison's Scotland regional manager, said: 'Scottish Water workers keep this essential public service running. They've not taken the decision to strike lightly, but have been pushed too far. 'The latest pay offer falls far short of what other public sector workers in Scotland have received. Scottish Water staff will now form picket lines across the country to demand the fair deal they deserve." Peter Farrer, chief operating officer at Scottish Water, said: 'This week's industrial action is unnecessary. It will mean union members losing valuable wages and add extra costs to the business which are ultimately paid for by customers. 'We invited the joint trade unions to talk over the weekend but unfortunately they refused to meet without preconditions. 'Given how close the vote against our latest pay offer was, we felt a resolution was possible and would be welcomed by all our colleagues. 'It is now time for the joint trade union leadership to return to the table with a sensible solution that ends this dispute. 'In the meantime, we have robust plans in place to maintain essential services should the trade unions press ahead with their strike action.'
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Walkout at Scottish Water set to resume in ongoing pay dispute
Postponed strike action by workers at Scottish Water is set to resume, after a union said the company had failed to make its members an improved pay offer. Staff at the company had been due to walk out in early May, but this was postponed after last-minute talks led to what the Unite union described as a 'potential breakthrough', and 'clear indications' a new pay offer would be tabled. However the union, which represents 500 workers at the company, said that after 'the best part of two weeks' staff are yet to receive a new formal offer, resulting in its members being 'forced' to take strike action. The union said the action would directly impact Scottish Water's ability to respond to water leakages, flooding, pollution, and quality concerns. Sam Ritchie, Unite industrial officer, said: 'Unite agreed to postpone previous industrial action in a gesture of goodwill as Scottish Water management gave clear indications a new offer would be imminently tabled. 'The best part of two weeks have passed and still no new offer. They are taking our members for a ride.' He also accused chief executive Alex Plant of living in an 'ivory tower', saying he had refused to engage in direct talks despite telling a parliamentary committee last month that his 'door is open'. Mr Ritchie continued: 'Our members are being forced to take strike action due to the arrogance and indifference of Scottish Water executives towards their dedicated workforce. 'Scottish Water have it within their gift to resolve this dispute at any moment, yet they refuse to.' The company's existing offer, which the union branded 'unacceptable', would see staff receive a 3.4% rise or £1,050 for those on the lowest grades, over a nine-month period. In contrast, the union said Scottish Water's counterparts in Northern Ireland received a £1,500 non-consolidated payment and a 5% wage rise in December. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, said: 'Scottish Water workers will not be forced into accepting an unacceptable pay offer as executives feather their own nests with eye-watering pay packages. 'Unite will continue to stand with our members in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions at Scottish Water.' The walkout is planned for June 2 to June 8 at a number of Scottish Water offices and wastewater treatment works.
The National
27-04-2025
- Business
- The National
Trade unions and Scottish Water at standstill in dispute
Representatives from GMB and Unite the Union have expressed frustration as the company's chief executive has not attended pay meetings, and the pay offers proposed to workers 'have effectively meant a wage cut'. Sam Ritchie, regional officer for Unite the Union, said there was an 'excellent' strike turnout last week. 'There was good weather and good spirits. I think there's also a lot of anger towards Scottish Water and the way that they've treated their workers,' he said. READ MORE: Pro-Palestine activists target Glasgow office over weapons companies ties The pay dispute began in July 2024, with surveyed trade union members asking for a flat pay rise of £3000 before strike action took place. Following negotiations, Unite members were balloted in October of last year and rejected a pay increase of £1200 from Scottish Water. A pay rise of £1400 was rejected by members in December, which Scottish Water said was its final offer. Since then, it has 'refused to budge'. ACAS, a human resources consultancy that Scottish Water used to aid negotiations, reportedly asked Scottish Water to return to the negotiation table with a new offer for employees. Claire Greer, GMB Scotland organiser, said: 'The last ACAS meeting instructed them [Scottish Water] to give one simple pay offer, and one red line for trade unions was that the offer would be no less than it was before. 'This was agreed in good faith, but Scottish Water, combined with ACAS instructions, gave the exact same offer bar £125 in the first year. We're tied in knots, it's a long, drawn-out, complicated offer that they keep putting on the table.' Greer added that Scottish Water is refusing to negotiate on the first year of the pay deal after unions rejected Scottish Water's pay offer for 2024-2025, now only focusing on pay for 2025-2026. 'This went from being a very simple dispute, to a dispute that is centred around Scottish Water wanting to explain, re-explain, and re-explain again how to do negotiations, and that's not what we want,' she added. 'Scottish Water is very good at holding meetings and talking at its staff, not letting them ask any questions, and saying that it has consulted with staff. That's not how you consult with staff, and that's not how you negotiate'. The frustration is shared by Ritchie, who says that management is 'out of touch with reality', and that Scottish Water's chief executive has not been present at pay deal meetings with unions. 'Alex Plant received, with his salary and his remuneration package combined, just below half a million pounds,' he said. 'For someone who receives such a large package, I would at least expect that he'd get around the table and listen to the voices of his workers, rather than just those voices that are a part of the board.' READ MORE: Thousands of people turn out to pro-independence march in Wales Within his first 10 months in his role as chief executive, Plant received £483,000 from his salary, performance bonuses and benefits, and pension combined. Ritchie added that 'the arrogance of management is also shocking', and that Plant 'should be treating his workers with dignity and respect'. 'Managers at Scottish Water negotiate their own contracts privately, as they're above pay grade eight. Managers are offered bonuses to retain talent, but what about the workers on the front line?' The change in Scottish Water's pay anniversary has also proved to be an issue, with the change itself being approved by trade unions, but the way it has changed the pay offer was not. The 3.4% raise that Scottish Water claimed would be provided came in the form of £1400 for July 2024 to March 2025, but since the change in anniversary date, this has changed to the raise being spread over 12 months, which unions say makes the raise only 2.8%, or £1050 for Scottish Water employees on pay grades 1-6. On the change the proposed offer would make to workers, trade unions agree that this would not be substantial, with Greer saying: 'Look at the rising cost of household bills, mortgages, rent, that £1400 is not meeting any of that.' Ritchie added: 'The numbers don't add up, it feels like they're trying to pull the wool over the unions' eyes.' Scottish Water's chief operating officer, Peter Farrer, said: 'No one benefits from industrial action and our focus is on continuing to deliver for our millions of customers across Scotland. 'Our above-inflation pay proposal is fair and progressive, prioritising the highest percentage increases in the business for those on the lowest salary grades – money that should be in employees' pockets now. 'We met with ACAS and the trade unions on April 15 to explore options to resolve the current dispute. Following that, we made a different, further improved proposal in an effort to reach an agreement. 'This is a good proposal and we are disappointed that union officials have not shared it with their members and given them the opportunity to vote on the offer in a ballot. 'We urge the unions to get back round the negotiating table as soon as possible.' READ MORE: Case of tuberculosis confirmed at Scottish school On the 'progressive' offer, Greer said: 'We completely disagree, and that's our members, the joint trade unions, GMB, everyone that's providing support is in complete disagreement with this. 'There are other public bodies across the pay sector that have gone on strike for higher pay offers than this, we've yet to find a pay offer lower than this.' Ritchie backed this claim: 'The NHS were offered 5.5%, the Irish equivalent to Scottish Water were offered 5.5% or £1500 to all staff, we're seeing failing water companies down south get offered 4%.' On returning to the table, Greer said: 'The trade unions haven't left the table, we've been open to any offer or suggestion, we've not backed ourselves into a corner here, we're not being precious about what we're willing to do. But we won't come back for the same offer, that's just a waste of everyone's time. 'There's no time for trickery and sleight of hand when it comes to pay talks. Everyone's there for the same reason, everyone wants these people back at work, so let's do it properly.' Industrial action is set to continue, with the next strikes taking place on May 2 and 6 across Scotland. Greer confirmed that 'workers right across the whole spectrum of jobs at Scottish Water, from the daily admin and office type roles right out to the more industrial roles' will be on strike.
The Independent
27-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Scottish Water executives ‘deliberately wrecked' pay talks, claims union
A union has accused Scottish Water bosses of displaying 'arrogance' and 'deliberately wrecking' pay talks ahead of strike action by staff. Unite has previously accused executives of using talks through conciliation service Acas as a means to 'water down' a pay offer made to the workforce and fall back on an offer made last year the union considers to be 'inferior'. The union argues the latest offer amounts to a basic pay rise of 3.4%, or £1,050 for those on the lowest grades of pay, over a nine-month period. Unison has calculated the offer to amount to a wage increase this year of 2.6% or £1,050, whichever is the higher amount. Unite, which is Scotland's largest trade union, compared the amount on offer to its members to what it described as the 'eye-watering' executive pay levels at Scottish Water as well as bonuses and benefits paid in 2023/24. Unite, Unison and GMB Scotland members will take part in a 24-hour walkout on Friday, with pickets staged outside Scottish Water offices in Edinburgh, Inverness, Stirling and Dundee, and at waste water treatment works in Glasgow, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'The arrogance shown by Scottish Water executives to the workforce and the wider Scottish public who rely on this essential service is astonishing. 'The pay packages of Scottish Water executives is eye-watering, yet they have deliberately wrecked pay talks. 'Unite will fully support our members in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions at Scottish Water.' Unite industrial officer Sam Ritchie said: 'Strike action is set to hit Scottish Water for one simple reason and that is the two-faced behaviour of its highly paid executives. 'Scottish Water has strung our members along while taking pay offers off the table and replacing them with a watered-down one. That is unacceptable and our members won't stand for this anymore. 'Industrial action will inevitably result in disruption to services, but this is entirely the fault of Scottish Water's management who have had every opportunity to resolve this dispute but have chosen not to.' Unison Scotland regional organiser Emma Phillips said: ' Employees are sick of being taken for granted and underpaid, while their work is farmed out to private contractors, at even greater expense to the public. 'Workers have suffered a decade of pay cuts and wages haven't kept up with inflation. 'Staff have been left feeling undervalued, and the company is struggling to retain its workforce. Things need to change, and that must start today.'
