WAGES in Scotland are now lower than the rest of the UK, according to new evidence presented by Scotland’s largest trade union body.
Ahead of the Council elections, the union body is calling for an increase in pay for council workers.
Despite more than half of people earning below £25,000 a year, council workers have faced a decade of real-terms cuts in pay.
STUC figures show that the failure to keep pace with inflation has cost the average council worker more than £4,000 since 2010.
Ahead of the Council elections, the union body is calling for an increase in pay for Council workers.
Roz Foyer, General Secretary said: “Workers in Scotland can now, on average, expect to take home less money each month when compared to others across the UK.
“For this to happen at any time is stark, for it to happen during the gravest cost-of-living crisis we’ve seen for generations is unforgivable.
“The Scottish Government must give Scotland’s public sector workers the cost of living increase they deserve.
“Now more than ever, government should be standing by our pandemic heroes giving them their overdue and much warranted public sector pay rise.”
The news comes as the STUC Congress overwhelmingly passed policy to demand a cost-of-living pay increase for public sector workers, reinforced by a national demonstration on pay and conditions.
Mary Alexander, Unite Deputy Scottish Secretary and STUC General Council Member said: “Within their spending review, it is entirely within the grasp of the Scottish Government to fund local government to a level worthy of our public sector workers.
“Our message to the Scottish Government is clear: you cannot build a Fair Work Nation on the backs of impoverished workers.
“We will be campaigning for significantly increased investment for local government in the 2023-2024 budget alongside support for all public services.
“Government should be in no doubt that Scotland’s workers won’t stand idle whilst their wages stagnate even further during a cost-of-living crisis.”
