Fife Council workers could walk out on strike after a five per cent pay rise was rejected and slammed as "unacceptable". 

Unions have warned of "trouble ahead" unless there's more money for local government employees with carers, cleaners, waste collectors, road workers, school support staff and social workers among those to be balloted for industrial action.

Fife Council leader David Ross confirmed last week that a pay offer for 2023/24 was made to the Scottish Joint Council (SJC) for Local Government Employees following a meeting of COSLA leaders. 

Dunfermline Press: Fife Council leader David Ross confirmed that the latest pay offer had been rejected.Fife Council leader David Ross confirmed that the latest pay offer had been rejected. (Image: Fife Council)

He said: "The trade unions put this to their members in consultative ballots with a recommendation to reject.

"The SJC unions have now communicated to COSLA that the result of these ballots was a rejection of the offer and that they will now be considering progressing to ballot for industrial action." 

Strikes would affect councils across Scotland and Unite the union warned that there could be widespread industrial action unless there is a significant increase to the current local government pay offer.

It said that around 5,000 members rejected the current five per cent offer for 2023 by 84 per cent.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The Scottish Government and COSLA need to improve upon the current pay offer or there will be trouble ahead. 

"A five per cent pay offer when the broader cost of living index is now above 13 per cent is a punishing real terms pay cut . That's unacceptable.

“Our members are determined to secure fair pay and they have their union’s full support in this fight for better jobs, pay and conditions in local government.”


READ MORE: Faith no more as church slams 'serious threat' to Catholic schools


Fife Council’s head of human resources Sharon McKenzie confirmed that trade unions (Unite, Unison and GMB) have rejected the recent pay offer from COSLA.

“These trade unions represent council employees who carry out a wide range of roles across the organisation including carers, waste collectors, cleaners, road workers, pupil and school support, social workers and housing staff.

“Annual pay awards are negotiated nationally by CoSLA on behalf of all councils across Scotland and are not subject to negotiations at a local level.”