Local government members in Scotland will be consulted on possible industrial action this month after employers rejected the union pay claim for this year.
UNISON had put in a claim for an increase of £1 an hour and consolidation of the living wage in Scottish local government.
But the employers rejected the claim, arguing that pay has been settled until April 2015 after union members accepted a 1% rise in 2013, which the employers unilaterally turned into an award for last year and this year.
The union will now consult members on the employers’ rejection of the pay claim in a postal ballot – from 9 June to 7 July – with voting papers sent to members’ home addresses.
The UNISON Scotland local government committee is urging members to vote for a full industrial action ballot, and calling on union branches to hold members’ meetings between now the end of the ballot period, and campaign for a formal ballot on industrial action to win an improved offer.
The union will also “engage with members over the issue of pay with a view to developing a pay claim to be lodged in November this year for the period 1 April 2015.”
This should “include promoting a number of pay related events throughout 2014”.
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