Union to ballot Scottish Water staff on possible strike over latest pay offer

Staff at Scottish Water are set to vote on taking industrial action after pay talks collapsed.

GMB Scotland said members will be balloted next week after an offer it said amounted to 3.4% was “overwhelmingly rejected” during an informal consultation.

The union has also claimed the water company was “misrepresenting the terms of the offer” and “risking the trust” of employees.

A spokesperson for Scottish Water said an increased offer had not been put to staff by unions and described the move to ballot members as “premature”.

They also said the offer to employees amounted to 3.95%, not 3.4% as stated by GMB Scotland.

The three-week ballot is expected to open on Monday January 27, a little more than a year after a rolling programme of action threatened to disrupt emergency repairs, testing and maintenance.

The dispute in 2023 involved a new grading structure unions claimed could cost the lowest paid up to £5,000.

Claire Greer, GMB Scotland organiser, said it was “disappointing” to be involved in another dispute with management so soon after the last one.

She said: “We had hoped the company had understood the need for trust and transparency in industrial relations. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case.

“The offer made to our members is too low and it is no surprise that it has been so overwhelmingly rejected.

“However, it is also disappointing that Scottish Water’s communications with staff misrepresent the offer on the table and seem designed to mislead.”

A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “Our proposal for an annual pay award for 2024-25 builds on the uplift and significant improvement to terms and conditions agreed last year with the trade unions.

“We are disappointed that the unions have not put our increased offer to their members and believe that balloting for industrial action is premature. We encourage the unions to engage with us.”