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Scottish Government Pay Dispute |
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PCS members in the Scottish Government are engaged in an increasingly bitter dispute with their own senior management and Scottish Ministers on pay. This follows the decision by Scottish Ministers to turn a deaf ear to our arguments about fair treatment on pay within Civil Service departments in Scotland, and to apply the Treasury pay cap of 2% on basic pay increases. This is a double whammy for civil servants as, unlike other public sector workers, the costs of progression from the minimum to the maximum of the pay scale are funded from the same pot as cost of living increases. Scottish Ministers are not bound to follow Treasury’s pay policy, and had it within their gift to take a different approach on public sector pay. PCS believes they will come to regret their failure to seize this opportunity to give their own workers a fair pay increase. On a 54% turnout, members voted to support both strike action and action short of strike including an indefinite overtime ban and work to rule. This is an incredible result in the first departmental strike ballot ever in Scotland’s “mini-Whitehall”. The ballot was won in spite of unprecedented management and Ministerial interference in the democratic process as the ballot proceeded, and is an indication of the anger felt by members on pay. Together with Registers of Scotland, who also balloted for action, two very successful strikes have been held: on 31 July, and on 20 August, in solidarity with over 100,000 other public sector workers across Scotland. A woeful 3 year offer has now been imposed by management. PCS members are facing 3 years of real terms cuts in their pay as hundreds at the top of their scale will be getting only a 2% consolidated increase each year for the next 3 years. For some of our lowest paid members this means an increase of around £4.00 per week, and is nothing short of an insult. Latest inflation figures show that the every day necessities are rising at an astronomical rate. For example, the price of meat and bread are up by 16% and vegetables have increased by 11% in the last year. Electricity, gas and other fuel prices are rising even more rapidly. Stories of members with 10, 15, 20 years service needing second jobs to make ends meet are becoming increasingly common, as they find it increasingly difficult to cope financially. Of course it is not just the SNP who are culpable. Labour MSPs, in a breathtaking display of hypocrisy, have recently expressed their support for our campaign. The SNP are simply applying the Labour Prime Minister’s 2% cap on pay, and therefore have a ready-made excuse for their failure to take a different approach. Perhaps if Labour MSPs were to make their views known to their leaders in London we might be able to achieve fair pay increases right across the civil service, and some justice for PCS members. Alex Salmond said last week that COSLA should get back to the negotiating table with the local government unions. He might want to think about taking his own advice and get back into meaningful negotiations with the union that represents his own workforce. Scottish Ministers of whatever political complexion have long relied on the goodwill and commitment of PCS members to deliver their manifesto commitments but this goodwill has now been withdrawn, and we believe that this will have long-term consequences for Scottish Government industrial relations. We are not asking for anything unreasonable, but seeking fair pay increases that mean all members, and particularly the lowest paid, can at least maintain their standard of living. The SNP would do well to remember that they will be looking for the votes of these same workers in 2010. Cheryl Gedling PCSScottish Government Group Secretary and NEC member.
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