Scotland: Container strikes at Scottish local authorities will continue this week despite a new payment offer being made.
Unions questioned an earlier offer of a 5% raise, saying they needed more details on how it would affect lower-paid members.
Cosla, the body that represents the local government, said it had a productive meeting with the unions on Tuesday.
But three unions said no deal had been reached and called for more funding from the Scottish government.
Johanna Baxter, head of local government for Unison Scotland, said the union was “a long way off” from the deal.
She said: “Cosla negotiated within the cost envelope that leaders mandated them but that simply isn’t enough and goes nowhere near matching the pay offer provided to council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
She added: “The only thing that both parties could agree on is that we need the urgent intervention from the deputy first minister to put additional funding in place and both will be writing to the deputy first minister to that effect today.”
The current offer means that the lowest paid council workers be taken to a new Scottish Local Government Living Wage of £10.50.
GMB Scotland senior organiser Keir Greenaway said: “The fact that Cosla couldn’t even commit to the basic principle of a flat rate offer which would help the lowest paid is bitterly disappointing and frankly shameful.
“Our members are angry about the lack of value being shown to them by political leaders and scared about the prospect of pay that doesn’t confront a cost of living crisis that’s getting worse by the week.”
Local authorities had initially proposed a 3.5% increase before upping their offer to 5%, with the minimum hourly rate also to be raised to £10.50.
Members from the Unite and GMB unions are also involved in the pay dispute. Cosla said it hoped they would consult with their members on the fresh offer.
Hundreds of GMB and Unite union members in Edinburgh’s waste and recycling service have already begun a strike which was planned to last until 30 August.
