Issue - decisions

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.