A pay offer has been accepted by two more council unions, averting the prospect of industrial action and restoring the value of workers’ salaries which have fallen in real terms in recent years.
Members of Unite and GMB voted in favour of the offer of a 4% increase this year and 3.5% in 2026/27. The biggest local government union – Unison had already accepted the offer.
A deal has been agreed without industrial action for the first time in three years.
Graham McNab, Unite’s lead negotiator for local government, said: “Scottish council workers have given their backing to a decent pay rise covering the next two years.
“We are pleased the negotiations were held in a far more productive way this year than in the past and this should set a benchmark for future years.”
The deal will be a relief to the Scottish government and council bosses after the 2022 action led to rubbish piling up in the centre of Edinburgh during the festival. In 2023 there were widespread school closures.
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