Strike action hit Scottish Water today (Friday 28 March) as the pay dispute at the public body escalates after a breakdown in talks.
24-hour strike action involving Unite’s 500-strong membership is taking place at offices and wastewater treatment works across the whole of Scotland with the union warning more industrial action is ‘inevitable’. Members of GMB Scotland and Unison have also backed industrial action, with 70% of GMB Scotland members in favour of strike action and Unison announcing a ban on overtime.
Unite has severely criticised Scottish Water executives for using talks through the conciliation service Acas as a device to ‘water down’ a pay offer made to the workforce, and to fall back on, what the union calls an ‘inferior‘ offer made last year. The ‘watered down’ offer amounts to a basic pay rise of 3.4 per cent or £1,050 for those on the lowest grades over the same period over a nine month period.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, said:
“The arrogance shown by Scottish Water executives to the workforce and the wider Scottish public who rely on this essential service is astonishing. The pay packages of Scottish Water executives is eye-watering, yet they have deliberately wrecked pay talks.
“Unite will fully support our members in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions at Scottish Water.”
Due to the key frontline roles undertaken by Unite’s membership in sewers, water treatment centres and on pipework, the industrial action will directly impact Scottish Water’s ability to respond to water leakages, flooding, pollution, and quality concerns.
Unite is highlighting what it calls the ‘eye-watering’ executive pay levels at Scottish Water. Scottish Water’s executive team were awarded £329,000 in bonuses and benefits in 2023/24. The three key executives of Scottish Water, Alex Plant, Peter Farrer and Alan Scott, amassed £842,000 in remuneration packages with the outgoing chief executive Douglas Millican also collecting £55,000 before his exit in May 2023.
On top of his reported £246,000 salary, Chief Executive Alex Plant received an overall remuneration package totalling £483,000. The executive and non-executive members, including the chair of the public body benefited from remuneration packages worth a combined £1.15m up from £854,000 in 2023.
Responding to the strike action, a Scottish Water spokesperson said:
“No-one benefits from industrial action and our focus is on continuing to deliver for our millions of customers across Scotland.
“Our above-inflation pay offer is fair and progressive, prioritising the highest percentage increases in the business for those on the lowest salary grades – money that should be in employees’ pockets now.
“We have improved the offer in an effort to reach an agreement with the trade unions and we are now offering a combined deal for 2024/25 and 2025/26.
“This is a good deal and we would encourage union leaders to put it to their members and get back round the negotiating table as soon as possible.”
Scottish Water said the pay offer includes:
- An above-inflation 3.4% increase for 2024/25, with a guaranteed pay rise of at least £1,400 for those on the lowest job grades, meaning some employees will receive around 5.5%.
- A second year increase for 2025/26 has also been offered that would take the cost of the deal over two years to more than 7%, and Scottish Water has invited the trade unions to negotiate on this.
- All Scottish Water employees are also eligible for an annual out-performance bonus and the business recently reduced the working week to 35 hours from 37 hours previously.
