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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Salary freeze call to save jobs | Salary freeze call to save jobs |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Highland Council workers look set to be asked to take a pay freeze to protect their jobs. | Highland Council workers look set to be asked to take a pay freeze to protect their jobs. |
| Budget leader David Alston said limited settlements over three years to achieve the equivalent of a one year pay freeze would save up to £8m. | |
| His comments follow the government's announcement that councils are to receive nearly £12bn next year. | |
| Finance Secretary John Swinney said it would have been £174m higher were it not for a funding cut of £500m. | Finance Secretary John Swinney said it would have been £174m higher were it not for a funding cut of £500m. |
| He said the cut was "imposed on the Scottish budget by the UK government". | He said the cut was "imposed on the Scottish budget by the UK government". |
| Mr Alston call for pay restraint also follows three unions representing Scotland's council workers submitting their annual pay claim. | |
| The unions - Unison, Unite and the GMB - which represent 150,000 council workers in Scotland, are seeking an above-inflation pay rise of 3%. | The unions - Unison, Unite and the GMB - which represent 150,000 council workers in Scotland, are seeking an above-inflation pay rise of 3%. |
| They also want the lowest paid workers to get even more, so their pay would rise by a total of £600. | They also want the lowest paid workers to get even more, so their pay would rise by a total of £600. |
| The councils, which are facing budget cutbacks, will make their formal response to the claim in January. | The councils, which are facing budget cutbacks, will make their formal response to the claim in January. |
| Mr Alston said: "We would hope to see either a pay freeze or the equivalent of a pay freeze in restraining pay settlements over the next two to three years. | Mr Alston said: "We would hope to see either a pay freeze or the equivalent of a pay freeze in restraining pay settlements over the next two to three years. |
| "I think it is reasonable to do that, not least because a pay freeze helps to protect jobs." | "I think it is reasonable to do that, not least because a pay freeze helps to protect jobs." |