Council bosses reject unions' 3% pay claim

UNIONS reacted angrily yesterday after their claim for a 3 per cent pay rise for some of the lowest-paid local authority workers was dismissed.

Unison regional organiser Dougie Black called the move a "slap in the face". The Unison, Unite and GMB unions, representing about 150,000 council staff, sought the rise for 2010-11.

A Unison spokesman said that, at a meeting with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the claim was "simply dismissed without any negotiations".

Mr Black said: "It appears that the value that they put on the main group of staff who deliver their services is nothing. These staff include the lowest-paid in Scottish local government."

Cosla human resources spokesman Michael Cook said: "We have not taken this decision lightly. We have consulted with councils across Scotland and the message from them is clear and consistent – the trade unions' claim is simply not affordable or sustainable."