Readers will already know of the links between the Unison Scotland trade union branch and Scottish Labour.
Today BBC Scotland has Scottish school strikes go ahead in pay dispute broadcast and ‘in full’ here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-67273011
The above makes no mention of the Labour links but, more indicative of their failure to properly inform and of their underlying agenda, does not explain the offer, does not tell us that Unison in England have accepted the same offer nor do they remind us that Unite and the GMB have also accepted it, making this a political strike, exploiting Unison members in the interests of the Labour Party.
What is the deal in Scotland, accepted by Unite and GMB?
A minimum increase of £1.04 per hour for the lowest paid council workers, a rise of 9.6% and a minimum increase of £1 per hour for their colleagues.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/23861139.scotland-strikes-gmb-unite-members-accept-new-pay-offer/
What did Unison England accept in April 2023?
The offer covers two pay years – an additional one-off amount for 2022/23 and a 5% wage rise (10.4% for the lowest paid) for 2023/24.
https://www.unison.org.uk/news/2023/04/unison-health-workers-vote-to-accept-nhs-pay-offer/#:~:text=NHS%20workers%20who%20belong%20to,%2C%20and%2026%25%20to%20reject.
Why is BBC Scotland hiding these facts and shielding Labour? You already know.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Indeed we DO already know why they , the BBC, hide the STRONG link between the two…..
But its not what WE know that matters is it……..it’s whether others in Scotland are aware of it…..as in the deliberate obscuring of this pertinent fact via the BBC upon this matter….. that is in her STRONG connection to an opposing political party ……and the fact that SHE , Baxter , sat at the top table at the recent Labour party conference in Liverpool…..it’s not exactly rocket science to then be able to add two and two and surely get the RIGHT answer is it , as in HER and THEIR, BBC, motivation being purely POLITICAL, indeed it always is, which is why we here in Scotland are so very badly served by ALL opposition parties and some Unions and too those others who collude with them…as in the media.
It’s a racket…..alas some voters in Scotland are either (inexplicably) incapable of seeing the truth or are those who are committed to always be unwilling to see the truth (diehard Unionists)………until that changes what hope is there that we can shift the dial in OUR favour that finally results in more (majority of) Scots rebelling against what is an obvious combined BritNat Pro UK set up playing out in Scotland ……all to stop independence!!!!
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This is yet ANOTHER ‘LABOUR’ TRICK
THEY WOULD NOT OFFER ANY MORE
BUT AS A FAILED DEFUNCT POLITICAL PARTY
THEY AND THE UNION REPRESENTING THEM (supposedly)
Are no better than agents of TURMOIL
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EVERY DIRTY PIG LIKES A NEIGHBOUR
AND THIS UNISON MOB ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR DUPLICITOUS
POLITICAL ACTIONS
SMALL MAN SYNDRONE
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The little people who are in Unison will be happy to remain as pawns to further the career of their esteemed leader .
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Statements today from Unison’s leadership on the strike by its members employed by local authorities in Scotland are telling.
UNISON Scotland’s head of local government Johanna Baxter is quoted saying: ‘Cosla and the Scottish government need to give local government workers a decent wage rise, fund any increase properly and commit to implementing a minimum underpinning rate of pay of £15 per hour for all local government workers.”
The implication here seems clear. Unison’s leadership in this strike is motivated by three different things:
(i) to obtain a wage rise for members – the normal, legitimate thing, along with protecting and improving terms/conditions of employment, that motivate trade unions;
(ii) to influence, to change the manner and/or the amount of grant funding that comes from the Scottish Government to local authorities – so striking in part to influence the funding settlement negotiated between government and COSLA;
(iii) to increase the minimum level of pay for local government workers across the board to £15 per hour – so striking to change government policy on wage rates for all local government workers, whether in Unison or not.
Objectives (ii) and (iii) are arguably ‘political’ rather than part of a typical industrial dispute mandated by a strike ballot.
It’s also notable that in a BBC News website article today it is reported that (with my emphasis) :’Unison is also WARNING THAT IT COULD ballot other council workers – such as refuse collectors – TO SEE IF THEY WOULD ALSO BE PREPARED TO GO ON STRIKE.’ So Unison’s leadership is threatening to PROVOKE further strike action. Based on the same three factors?
The issue of increasing the minimum wage came up during Labour’s campaigning in Scotland earlier this year, as reported by the Glasgow Times on 17 August (see https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/23730270.angela-rayner-says-adults-will-get-minimum-wage-labour/ )
We learn that: ‘On a visit to Glasgow, meeting apprentices at City Building, in Springburn, Angela Rayner (deputy leader of the Labour Party) said Labour would look at a new formula for setting the hourly rate so it allowed people to meet their living costs. Speaking to the Glasgow Times, Rayner said an incoming Labour government would look to raise the living standards for all working people.
‘SHE WOULD NOT SAY WHAT THE RATE WOULD BE OR IF IT WOULD BE INCREASED. Rayner added: “We would give the Low Pay Commission a broader remit so they can look at and set the hourly rate.” Adding: “WE’VE HAD TRADE UNIONS MENTION CERTAIN RATES. WE’RE NOT GOING TO PLUCK A FIGURE OUT OF THE AIR.” and “It won’t be me setting it. It will be a formula the right formula that we have to keep to, to ensure a genuine living wage for people.”
Now Ms Rayner was referring to the national living wage rather than just one for local government employees. But notably she was both unwilling to indicate a rate and unwilling, if in government, even to accept responsibility for setting such a rate. And she made no mention of moving on an increased rate for JUST local government or other public sector employees in England.
Back in 28 September 2021 this was published in Labour List: Labour conference backs £15 minimum wage and sick pay at living wage’
We learn what prompted a Labour front bench resignation: ‘The former Shadow Employment Rights and Protections Secretary (Andy McDonald MP) said the Labour leader’s office “instructed me to go into a meeting to argue against a national minimum wage of £15 an hour and against statutory sick pay at the living wage”.
On 24 October 2023, THE LIVING WAGE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCED THAT THE REAL LIVING WAGE HAS INCREASED TO £12 IN UK and £13.15 in London. ‘The living wage rates for 2023/24 have been announced today (24 October 2023) and employers will then have six months until 1 May 2024 to implement them.’
Living Wage Employers in the public sector in Scotland that have been certified by the Living Wage Foundation are listed here https://www.livingwage.org.uk/accredited-living-wage-employers
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Statements today from Unison’s leadership on the strike by its members employed by local authorities in Scotland are telling.
UNISON Scotland’s head of local government Johanna Baxter is quoted saying: ‘Cosla and the Scottish government need to give local government workers a decent wage rise, fund any increase properly and commit to implementing a minimum underpinning rate of pay of £15 per hour for all local government workers.”
The implication here seems clear. Unison’s leadership in this strike is motivated by three different things:
(i) to obtain a wage rise for members – the normal, legitimate thing, along with protecting and improving terms/conditions of employment, that motivate trade unions;
(ii) to influence, to change the manner and/or the amount of grant funding that comes from the Scottish Government to local authorities – so striking in part to influence the funding settlement negotiated between government and COSLA;
(iii) to increase the minimum level of pay for local government workers across the board to £15 per hour – so striking to change government policy on wage rates for all local government workers, whether in Unison or not.
Objectives (ii) and (iii) are arguably ‘political’ rather than part of a typical industrial dispute mandated by a strike ballot.
It’s also notable that in a BBC News website article today it is reported that (with my emphasis) :’Unison is also WARNING THAT IT COULD ballot other council workers – such as refuse collectors – TO SEE IF THEY WOULD ALSO BE PREPARED TO GO ON STRIKE.’ So Unison’s leadership is threatening to PROVOKE further strike action. Based on the same three factors?
The issue of increasing the minimum wage came up during Labour’s campaigning in Scotland earlier this year, as reported by the Glasgow Times on 17 August (see https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/23730270.angela-rayner-says-adults-will-get-minimum-wage-labour/ )
We learn that: ‘On a visit to Glasgow, meeting apprentices at City Building, in Springburn, Angela Rayner (deputy leader of the Labour Party) said Labour would look at a new formula for setting the hourly rate so it allowed people to meet their living costs. Speaking to the Glasgow Times, Rayner said an incoming Labour government would look to raise the living standards for all working people.
‘SHE WOULD NOT SAY WHAT THE RATE WOULD BE OR IF IT WOULD BE INCREASED. Rayner added: “We would give the Low Pay Commission a broader remit so they can look at and set the hourly rate.” Adding: “WE’VE HAD TRADE UNIONS MENTION CERTAIN RATES. WE’RE NOT GOING TO PLUCK A FIGURE OUT OF THE AIR.” and “It won’t be me setting it. It will be a formula the right formula that we have to keep to, to ensure a genuine living wage for people.”
Now Ms Rayner was referring to the national living wage rather than just one for local government employees. But notably she was both unwilling to indicate a rate and unwilling, if in government, even to accept responsibility for setting such a rate. And she made no mention of moving on an increased rate for JUST local government or other public sector employees in England.
Back in 28 September 2021 this was published in Labour List: Labour conference backs £15 minimum wage and sick pay at living wage’
We learn what prompted a Labour front bench resignation: ‘The former Shadow Employment Rights and Protections Secretary (Andy McDonald MP) said the Labour leader’s office “instructed me to go into a meeting to argue against a national minimum wage of £15 an hour and against statutory sick pay at the living wage”.
On 24 October 2023, THE LIVING WAGE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCED THAT THE REAL LIVING WAGE HAS INCREASED TO £12 IN UK and £13.15 in London. ‘The living wage rates for 2023/24 have been announced today (24 October 2023) and employers will then have six months until 1 May 2024 to implement them.’
The many Living Wage Employers in the public sector in Scotland that have been certified by the Living Wage Foundation are listed on the Foundation’s website.
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This is reactionary rubbish.
Unison MEMBERS in Scotland voted to strike, not Labour-supporting bureaucrats.
89.92% of Unison members voted to reject the offer in a legal ballot on a turnout of 57.27%. Such ballots have to be held by post, are difficult to achieve under the most regressive anti-trade union legislation in any European state, and the result is not massively dissimilar from the vote by EIS school teachers in 2022 that resulted in school strikes and a significantly improved offer from CoSLA.
Unison is by far the largest union representing Scottish local government workers on the scales being negotiated, the other unions have only a small minority of members. Unison membership has increased throughout the dispute.
Unison Scotland is also one of the few unions affiliated to the Labour Party that has come out in support of a referendum on independence being held if the Scottish Parliament supports it.
I think you have completely the wrong view on this. Far better to recognise the anger among ordinary Unison council worker members about their pay, and pressure CoSLA and the Scottish government to come up with a negotiated settlement.
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Reactionary? My first such accusation in 72 years. Had to happen some time. 89.92% of only 57.27% is 52%, not a ringing endorsement.
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This is his MO when it comes to unions unfortunately…
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See stewartb’s demolition of your argument
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What demolition? My point is Unison MEMBERS voted for the strike and to reject the pay offer, and not the bureaucrats, whether Labour or not.
Strikes in the UK state under the most reactionary anti union legislation in Europe MUST be in furtherance of an industrial dispute with the employer in order to be legal, and NOT on a political issue. And a strike ballot has to be conducted via an archaic postal vote system and achieve a minimum 50% turnout. Last time I did maths 52% was a majority – do you not believe unions should function according to democratic principles ! (and in any case, it doesn’t mean 48% were against, just that among the pressures of every day life they failed to toddle to a post box and pop their envelope in it in good time).
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