Union urges for ministers to help with Scottish Water pay dispute
Members of GMB Scotland and other unions are striking from Monday for seven consecutive days at the publicly-owned organisation, with a mass rally planned in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Scottish ministers have been urged to get involved in the dispute, which began in June 2024.
Workers at GMB Scotland backed industrial action after the water company reduced the terms of a pay offer that had already been rejected, according to the union, which claimed that executives received record bonuses last year.
Unionised staff voted against an offer of 3.4% or £1,400 covering the last nine months as the company changed the date for annual rises from July to April.
The company branded industrial action 'unnecessary' and said seven offers have been made since June 2024.
Scottish Water's latest offer would see an average pay increase of around 7% over two years (2024/25 and 2025/26), in addition to a 3.5% yearly salary increase. It called for 'sensible' negotiations from the unions, rejecting suggestions that emergency works would be impacted.
In a marginal majority, 51% of Unison workers employed by the water supplier voted to reject the pay offer, and 49% voted to accept. The turnout was 86%.
GMB said 60% of its members voted against the offer, and 40% chose to accept, on a turnout of 78%, while statistics were not provided by Unison.
The strikes will conclude on June 8, and follow two days of industrial action in April.
GMB Scotland organiser Claire Greer wrote to secretary for net zero Gillian Martin, raising concerns about the failure to resolve the dispute.
Ms Greer said: 'It is impossible to know whether Scottish Water is playing games or simply inept, but the relentless progress of this dispute towards industrial action could have been halted at any time with open and straightforward negotiations.
'Instead, we have been given a series of needlessly complicated offers, one worse than the last, as managers spend more time attempting to undermine staff unions than delivering a fair offer.
'It needs to stop and if Scottish Water do not know how, ministers must explain public money is being risked by a dispute that should have been settled months ago.
'The public deserves better and workers deserve a fair pay offer.'
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.'
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Ministers have set out their policy in relation to public sector pay.
'It is a matter for Scottish Water and its unions to agree a settlement within the constraints of that policy and affordability.
'The Scottish Government urges both parties to resume negotiations to find an agreement.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
36 minutes ago
- The National
Keir Starmer 'hasn't responded' to John Swinney on Gaza child evacuations
Writing in The National earlier this month, the First Minister said Scotland's NHS was ready to treat injured Palestinian children. Swinney said that the Scottish Government is looking to medically evacuate children suffering from injuries caused by Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza, but that this "requires the support of the UK Government". First Minister John Swinney (Image: PA) The First Minister revealed that he had written to Keir Starmer urging him to support the evacuations to hospitals in Scotland. However, Swinney said on Sunday that he is yet to receive a response from the Prime Minister. The First Minister said in a statement: 'It is deeply saddening that so far the UK Government has refused to even enter into a dialogue about medical evacuations for children in Gaza who, without proper medical attention, will be left to die. READ MORE: Palestine Action co-founder set to challenge UK Government terror ban 'That is the frank reality of life in Gaza under Israeli bombardment and blockade. 'The healthcare system in Gaza is on the brink of total collapse, with surgeons working day and night under artillery fire, with inadequate supplies and often no electricity. 'We know that many hospitals have been targeted and decimated by the IDF.' The First Minister added that Scotland is prepared 'to do what is required to save the lives of as many of these kids as we can'. Swinney's letter to Starmer was sparked by a meeting he had held with UN agency Unicef to discuss medical evacuations. The SNP leader wrote in The National at the time: 'With hospitals destroyed and medical supplies running out, this is an emergency and a race against time to provide specialist medical care for the children and babies suffering from injuries caused by the war. 'Scotland's world-class National Health Service stands ready to play our full part in supporting these medical evacuations and the treatment of injured Palestinian children.' He added: 'This requires the support of the UK Government, and I have asked the Prime Minister to support facilitating a transfer of these children, who need medical care to survive, to Scotland.' Swinney's predecessor, Humza Yousaf, previously said that Scottish hospitals can help treat injured Gaza civilians if they are medically evacuated. He added, however, that 'no request has been made' for the UK to receive medical evacuations from Gaza at that time. READ MORE: 3 women charged under Terrorism Act after breaching Edinburgh arms factory Since then, Israel has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry. On Sunday, at least 73 Palestinians were killed while trying to reach desperately needed aid in Gaza. In northern Gaza, 67 people were killed near the Zikim crossing with Israel as aid trucks had just arrived. According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), 25 trucks carrying supplies for "starving communities" entered the area but were met by large crowds that came under gunfire. A UK Government spokeswoman said: 'Since the start of the conflict, UK support has provided essential healthcare to over 430,000 people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 'We have helped several children with complex paediatric conditions access privately funded medical care in the UK, supporting an initiative by Project Pure Hope. 'We have been clear the situation in Gaza is intolerable and that there must be an immediate ceasefire. 'We urge Israel to let vital humanitarian aid in and allow Gazans to receive urgent healthcare, including allowing the sick and wounded to temporarily leave the Gaza Strip to receive treatment.'
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
FC Twente in Robin Propper threat amid Rangers stand off
The Ibrox club have accepted an offer from the Dutch side who are keen on taking their former captain back a year after selling him. However, the 31-year-old would have to take a pay cut to make the move and that is causing the delay. It is understood he is keen for Rangers to make up the difference before he commits. However, Streuer has now hinted playing time might be a factor too, with Propper potentially interested in waiting to see if he still gets time on the pitch under Russell Martin. But the technical director has suggested his club may have to move on if there is no decision soon. He told De Volkskrant: "All sorts of factors beyond your control (dictate transfers). Just before last season, our captain Robin Propper left at the last minute. "We really missed him. Rangers bought him. A top Scottish club. You can't compete with them. Read more: "Now there's a new manager at Rangers, he might play less. Then he might be able to return. "But he'll want to wait and see first if he actually plays less. We have to decide: do we wait for that or do we see what happens next?" It comes after similar comments from Streuer as he urged Propper to sort out the financial situation. He said: "Robin and his agent will first have to settle some matters with the club. "He still has a contract, of course. "We're waiting for that to conclude and won't be calling him every day. "But since he wasn't at our training camp, a solution will have to be found quickly."
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
UK Government to cut support for special educational needs
The latest concern is the UK Government's plans to cut support for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in English schools. In Scotland, SEND is akin to our funding for additional support needs (ASN) for children and young people in education. For every £1billion of cuts in England, the impact on the Scottish budget would be approximately £93million. READ MORE: 'Prime Glasgow gem' hits the market in 'rare opportunity' for buyers For example, when the Chancellor sought to remove the winter fuel payment (WFP) from most pensioners to save £1.5bn, this resulted in a consequential loss of £140m for Scotland. That policy was largely U-turned. English local authorities have accumulated a £3.3bn deficit in their 'high needs' education budgets, according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies last December. Under English law, persons in education up to the age of 25 can seek education, health and care plans (EHCP) to identify the additional support required to meet their SEND at school. The number of EHCPs has increased annually since they were introduced, rising by 71% from 253,679 in 2018 to 434,354 last year, according to the Department for Education. The equivalent to EHCPs in Scotland is the coordinated support plan (CSP). Generally, children and young people with complex or multiple ASN will require a CSP. Last year, 248,448 pupils were recorded as having ASN in Scotland, including autism, dyslexia or a mental health problem, in contrast with 140,542 a decade ago. READ MORE: Cat found in minibus engine revealed as 'master escape artist' after this incident And yet, counter-intuitively, the number of pupils with a CSP dropped by nearly two-thirds. In 2014, there were 3128 pupils with a CSP, but this fell by 61% to 1215 last year. That's a reduction from 2.2% to 0.4% of those with additional support needs. If anything, these statistics strongly suggest there is a need for more funding and investment in ASN in Scotland. The possibility of Barnett formula cuts from the UK Government would make no sense at all. The House of Commons rises today for the summer recess. The White Paper on SEND reform in England was due to be published earlier this year, but has been delayed. We'll need to wait until the autumn to discover if these disability support cuts go ahead. Some of the possibilities mooted include restricting SEND support to those aged 18 or less. There might be a replacement of EHCPs altogether with something completely different. Wales has phased in a new additional learning needs (ALN) system. This is a single statutory scheme known as an individual development plan (IDP), designed to encourage collaboration with children and parents in the planning process. Only schools or local authorities can apply for IDPs, and not young people or their parents. READ MORE: Poundland bosses confirm Scottish store will close next month Scotland's ASN system is right to place children, young people and parents at its heart. Having a legal right to request a CSP enables the rights to additional support to become a reality in practice. It's unlikely Scotland would follow suit with the UK Government's policies here, but the potential for funding cuts must be a worry. That said, we've seen major U-turns on the WFP and the welfare reform bill in the last couple of months. Could Sir Kier Starmer's proposed SEND bill be the next big U-turn?
