Scottish Water workers accept pay offer but ‘concerns continue’, says union

A series of strikes have been brought to an end as Scottish Water workers accepted an improved pay offer, but union officials said “staff concerns continue”.

Unison said on Thursday that the latest pay deal, which covers the 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years, had been accepted by its members.

The union represents more than 1,000 workers at the Government-owned corporation, making it the union with the largest presence at Scottish Water.

The pay deal is worth a minimum of £2,850 for staffers on salary bands one to six.

Staff on band seven salaries will receive an additional £3,030, and band eight workers will gain another £3,771.

Some 77% of Unison members at Scottish Water voted, 63% of whom accepted the offer.

Scottish Water initially offered workers a basic pay rise of 3.4% or £1,050 for those on the lowest grades.

Unison members had earlier rejected an improved pay offer from the employer.

There were 10 days of strike action this year at Scottish Water.

Staff who took action included treatment plant operators, maintenance crews, water quality teams and other frontline workers.

During the strikes, the union said there were no emergency repairs, water quality checks, or responses to public reports of problems with water supply, sewage or drainage.

The employer had originally offered a pay rise of £1,050 for those on the lowest-grade salaries.

This was later upped to 7% over two years, which was also rejected.

While the latest offer was accepted, Unison said it will continue to press Scottish Water bosses to cut the excessive use of contractors and agency staff.

The union also said more must be done to improve industrial relations across the sector following the dispute.

Unison Scotland regional organiser Greig Kelbie said: “The immediate dispute may be over, but staff concerns continue. They want better pay and conditions, and to keep Scottish Water as a publicly-owned and run service.

“The company’s behaviour has become ever more like that of profit-driven water firms in England. That’s not the way a vital public service for Scotland should operate.

“The union and staff will be fighting the creeping privatisation of the industry.”

Unison Scottish Water branch secretary Patricia McArthur said: “Staff have decided to accept this offer after a long and difficult dispute, but it’s far from ideal.

“In theory, Scottish Water is still the jewel in the crown of Scotland’s public services. But the reality is that its operations are being handed increasingly to private operators. That must stop.”

Fellow unions GMB and Union have also been in dispute with the employer.

Lynne Highway, Scottish Water’s director of people, said: “We are pleased that members of all three trade unions have voted to accept our pay offer.

“We now look forward to implementing the salary increases that our people have been waiting for and to working constructively with the trade unions in the future.”