Date: 20 August 2008

Action will go on until council staff get fair pay

UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis told Edinburgh Council UNISON members today that the industrial action which crippled council services today will continue until staff get fair pay.

The action will continue "until the employers who haven't talked to us for three months, come back round the negotiating table and talk about the real issues affecting their workers - the issue of not being able to pay the bills", said Mr Prentis.

"I believe the public understand the frustration at an offer that would lock council workers into a 2.5% pay offer for three years, when inflation is way ahead of that and rising. Yet the employers have failed to invite us back to talk to them since before the strike ballot was called," he added. Edinburgh UNISON has welcomed the 'resounding' response from its members to the strike. "

The resounding response to the strike shows just how angry our members are at taking what is a pay cut when the cost of living is soaring. Members always respond well in Edinburgh but this time the support for the action has surpassed even our expectations", said John Stevenson, Edinburgh Branch President.

"The public response on the picket lines has been fantastic. They clearly understand the fairness of our case. Our low paid members cannot go on subsidising services".

UNISON will now make representations to the full council on Thursday 21 August calling on it to urge CoSLA to reopen talks. We will also be calling on the First Minister Alex Salmond to take his responsibility and ensure the money is made available for a fair settlement.

ENDS

Further Information John Ross, UNISON Service Conditions Convenor 0131 220 5655, 0781 549 1559 John Stevenson, Branch President 07876 795 018

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