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Strike threat for courts system Further council strikes planned
(about 1 hour later)
Hundreds of staff have voted for strike action which could cause disruption to Scotland's justice system. Scotland faces more council strikes after local government employers refused to increase a 2.5% pay offer.
Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) workers in five agencies and public bodies are unhappy with a 2% pay offer. Union members had hoped local council body Cosla would offer a new one year deal taking inflation into account.
Court officials and Crown Office staff are among those who have voted for strike action and work-to-rule over below-inflation wage increases. However, Cosla said increasing the pay offer in the current economic climate would result in service and job cuts.
A union official said a one-day strike could seriously slow court business. Meanwhile, hundreds of other civil and public servants voted for strike action which could cause serious disruption to the justice system.
The PCS members, including staff from sportscotland and the National Museums of Scotland, are the latest public servants to vote for industrial action over pay. Following a meeting with union officials, Cosla spokesman councillor Michael Cook said the pay offer for local government workers would remain at 2.5%.
Last month council workers were involved in a walk-out over a similar pay offer. This is a total misjudgement of local government workers' commitment to fight for a decent living wage Jimmy FarrellyUnite He said: "The problem for us is that while we do sympathise with our workforce and the monetary pressures they are facing, we have a major difficulty because we are facing exactly the same pressures on budgets across the board.
'Spreading dispute' "We have two roles and we have to strike a balance between that of an employer and that of a service deliverer."
Eddie Reilly, PCS Scottish secretary, said union members in the Scottish Government were intensifying their work-to-rule. He added that Cosla was willing to discuss the decision, alongside unions, with the Scottish Government.
He said: "Following a summer of discontent in Scottish Government and Registers of Scotland, our pay dispute with Scottish ministers' pay policy has now spread to the Scottish justice system. He said while this might alert the government to "some of the pain" the decision could have on communities, it would be unlikely to result in more money being made available.
"How far does this need to go before Alex Salmond and John Swinney take responsibility for the effect that their pay policies are having on their own workforce?" Unite, the GMB and Unison now plan to meet within the next week to co-ordinate further strike dates.
Officials are considering when to call the one-day walk-out. Unite official Jimmy Farrelly said: "This is a total misjudgement of local government workers' commitment to fight for a decent living wage.
It is understood a strike is likely to take place on a Monday, which is the busiest day of the week for sheriff courts. "We are extremely disappointed with their decision which will lead to an escalation of strike action."
Mr Reilly said it could mean prisoners being held in custody longer than normal, and others granted bail. Spreading dispute
In a similar dispute over a below-inflation pay offer, Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) workers in five agencies and public bodies voted for strike action and work-to-rule.
Staff from the Scottish Courts Service, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, sportscotland and the National Museums of Scotland are unhappy with a 2% pay offer.
Eddie Reilly, PCS Scottish secretary, said a one-day strike could mean prisoners being held in custody longer than normal, and others granted bail.