Scottish Water employees are gearing up to vote on potential strike action after pay talks fell through, with union members feeling undervalued.
Glasgow: Scottish Water staff are getting ready to vote on strike action. This comes after pay talks hit a wall. The GMB union said its members will vote next week. They overwhelmingly rejected a 3.4 percent pay increase.
The union claims Scottish Water misrepresented the offer. They say this risks losing trust with employees. On the other hand, Scottish Water argues that the unions haven’t shared a better offer with staff. They think the vote is a bit premature.
Scottish Water also disputes the union’s numbers. They say the actual offer was a 3.95 percent increase, not 3.4 percent. The ballot will kick off on Monday, January 27. Claire Greer from GMB Scotland expressed her frustration over this new dispute.
She mentioned that they hoped for better communication from the company. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be happening. The union feels the offer is too low, which is why it was rejected so strongly. They also believe Scottish Water’s messages to staff are misleading.
A spokesperson for Scottish Water said their pay proposal builds on last year’s improvements. They’re disappointed the unions haven’t shared their increased offer. They believe the strike vote is premature and want to keep the conversation going.
