Issue - meetings

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note the letter to the Minister for Local Government and Housing and the subsequent reply from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance;

(ii)       to regret that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance fails to address the Council’s request to fully fund a one-off £500 payment to all local government workers and call on the Scottish Government to reconsider this request;

(iii)      to agree that the Scottish Government’s continued underfunding of local government and inclusion of a Council Tax freeze for the year 2021-22, directly impacts on local government workers by constraining the ability of councils to fund additional payments to staff;

(iv)      to agree the position adopted by Unison Scotland, GMB Scotland, EIS and Unite the Union Scotland who have all demanded that the £500 payment for NHS workers be extended to all workers in NHS, local authorities, and social care settings;

(v)      to note the Scottish Joint Council Trade Unions representing local government workers in Scotland have rejected the pay offer from COSLA and are consulting their members on the way forward; and

(vi)      to instruct the Chief Executive, following consultation with the Convener of City Growth and Resources Committee, to write a joint letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Minister for Local Government & Housing demanding a fair and just settlement for local government including for councils to provide the one-off £500 payment to reward the heroic efforts of all local government workers across Scotland showing that they are as equally valued as NHS and social care staff, and to fully fund local authorities to pay local government workers the pay rise they deserve.

With reference to article 4 of the minute of the meeting of the City Growth and Resources Committee of 3 February 2021, the Committee had before it by way of referral, correspondence between Aberdeen City Council and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance in respect of a £500 bonus payment for key workers across local government.  The City Growth and Resources Committee had referred the matter to the Staff Governance Committee in order to give the Members an opportunity to see, debate the response and consider any further representation, with input from the Trade Union advisers to the Committee.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:-

That the Committee:-

(i)       note the letter to the Minister for Local Government and Housing and the subsequent reply from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance;

(ii)       regret that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance fails to address the Council’s request to fully fund a one-off £500 payment to all local government workers and call on the Scottish Government to reconsider this request;

(iii)      agree that the Scottish Government’s continued underfunding of local government and inclusion of a Council Tax freeze for the year 2021-22, directly impacts on local government workers by constraining the ability of councils to fund additional payments to staff;

(iv)      agree the position adopted by Unison Scotland, GMB Scotland, EIS and Unite the Union Scotland who have all demanded that the £500 payment for NHS workers be extended to all workers in NHS, local authorities, and social care settings;

(v)      note the Scottish Joint Council Trade Unions representing local government workers in Scotland have rejected the pay offer from COSLA and are consulting their members on the way forward; and

(vi)      instruct the Chief Executive, following consultation with the Convener of City Growth and Resources Committee, to write a joint letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Minister for Local Government & Housing demanding a fair and just settlement for local government including for councils to provide the one-off £500 payment to reward the heroic efforts of all local government workers across Scotland showing that they are as equally valued as NHS and social care staff, and to fully fund local authorities to pay local government workers the pay rise they deserve.

Councillor Cameron, seconded by Councillor Copland, moved as an amendment:-

That the Committee:-

(i)       note the letter to the Minister for Local Government and Housing and the subsequent reply from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance; and

(ii)       take no further action at present due to the ongoing COSLA negotiations with Trade Unions in respect of Terms and Conditions.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (6) – the Convener; the Vice Convener; and Councillors Delaney, Graham, Macdonald and Reynolds; for the amendment (3) – Councillors Cameron, Copland and Hutchison.

The Committee resolved:-

to agree the motion.