DUMFRIES and Galloway workers are being balloted for strike action as they choose whether to vote for strike action over pay.
Around 80,000 workers across all 32 councils will have the opportunity to take part from May 1 until June 12. The move follows a recent consultation in which 92 per cent backed strike action, after Cosla offered all council workers in Scotland a 3 per cent increase for 2025-26.
UNISON Scotland co-lead for local government David O’Connor said: “Dedicated council staff have seen the value of their pay fall for more than a decade, as wages failed to keep pace with the cost of living.
“These workers deliver high-quality, vital services to communities, despite increasing pressures, dwindling resources and significant staffing shortages.
“Cosla’s offer only adds to the real financial hardship faced by employees, especially with rent, council tax and energy bills continuing to soar.
“Strike action is always a last resort, but local government workers have been underpaid and undervalued for far too long. Cosla and the Scottish government need to step up and offer a decent wage increase that reflects the value if these workers.”
Chair of UNISON Scotland’s local government committee Susanne Gens added: “Staff have indicated overwhelmingly that they’ve reached their limit. They can’t afford to shoulder the burden of real-terms pay cuts.
“Local government workers are the glue that holds communities together and provide essential services on which everyone relies.
“The Scottish Government and Cosla must recognise their worth and respond with a fair pay offer that values these essential workers.”
