Title

HUMAN RESOURCES

Unison warns of looming strike as it awaits pay offer

Scotland’s largest local government union has warned strike preparations could begin next week amid growing tensions over pay.

Scotland's largest local government union has warned strike preparations could begin next week amid growing tensions over pay.

Unison, along with Unite, submitted the 2024-25 pay claim for local government workers in January but the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has yet to respond.

The unions had urged council bosses to reply as close to the 1 April implementation date as possible.

Unison Scotland's local government chair Colette Hunter said: ‘It would appear that COSLA has learned nothing from last year's pay dispute.

‘The last thing anyone wants to do is take strike action, but if COSLA continues to ignore our pay claim then we may be left with no choice.'

COSLA said council leaders would meet on Friday to consider the claim.

Unison and Unite have called for an above-inflation increase for staff on the lowest pay as part of their aim for all local government workers to receive at least £15 an hour by April 2026.

The unions also asked for a pay rise of 7% or £1.60 an hour - whichever is greater.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Social workers in safeguarding warning

By Joe Lepper | 22 May 2026

Home Office plans to overrule councils’ decisions on the age of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children present a ‘major safeguarding risk’, the British Associ...

HUMAN RESOURCES

The public will accept straight talk from politicians so long as there is a rationale

By Michael Burton | 20 May 2026

By claiming the public could have both high public spending and low taxes, the main parties opened the floodgates to the siren voices of the populists, says ...

HUMAN RESOURCES

EXCLUSIVE: 'Engaged' Rowlands meeting LGA board members as she starts role

By Dan Peters | 19 May 2026

The Local Government Association's (LGA) interim chief executive Jenny Rowlands is meeting board members as she settles into the role, The MJ understands.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Where do Labour go from here?

By Tom Collinge | 18 May 2026

Labour suffered stark losses of councils and seats in the local elections. Tom Collinge looks at what a damaged party can learn.

Popular articles by Ellie Ames