Scottish Water weekend strikes called off after new pay offer
- Published
Scottish Water workers, including many based at the company's site in Stirling, staged a four-day walkout last week
Strikes by Scottish Water staff planned for this weekend have been suspended after a new pay offer was made.
About 500 members of the GMB, Unite and Unison unions staged a four-day walkout last week as part of 48 days of action due to continue into the new year.
They are refusing to accept a planned new pay structure and grading system.
The next wave of strikes have been put on hold after Scottish Water said it had agreed "a route to an exceptional pay award".
After a meeting moderated by Acas - which is understood to have lasted until about 23:00 on Wednesday - strike action was suspended to allow union members to be balloted on new proposals.
Peter Farrer, chief operating officer at Scottish Water, said: "We are delighted to have reached an agreement with the joint trade unions which provides our employees with a route to an exceptional pay award and a modern pay and grading system and halts immediate further industrial action.
"Union members will be balloted on the proposal shortly and we hope for a positive outcome."
Union leaders had claimed the previous proposal would see the earnings of the lowest-paid workers drop by up to £5,000.
Unite regional coordinator Stevie Deans said: "Unite has taken the decision, together with the joint trade unions, to suspend all forthcoming industrial action until our membership has had the opportunity to fully consider and vote on the merits of this new offer."
Unison warned last week that any reported problems with public water supply, sewage or drainage would not be dealt with while staff were on strike.
However, Scottish Water said it would do everything possible "to ensure customers do not experience any disruption to their water supplies".
Scottish Water and the unions will both be relieved a settlement has been reached.
Last weekend's strikes may not have interrupted the water supply. But the longer the action continued, the greater the potential for disruption.
The agreement breaks the link between the pay offer and the new grading structure at the organisation. Talks on the grading structure will continue.
But when a settlement came about so quickly after the first strikes focused minds, it is inevitable that some will wonder why the dispute ever got to boiling point.
Yet again, it will be argued by unions that the dispute could have been resolved without the need to actually go on strike.