MINISTERS are facing a ferocious backlash from public sector workers after agreeing a "breakthrough" 5% pay deal to train drivers which could end a row which has led to major cuts to nationalised ScotRail services.

Unions representing public sector staff including local authority workers and teachers who have been offered between 2% and 2.2% are preparing to fight for the same treatment as train drivers - despite huge cuts in public spending - with school closures already being threatened.

Public services in Scotland are braced for “brutal” cuts after ministers unveiled spending plan just over a week ago that will slash more than £1 billion from key areas including councils and the police.

Public services union Unison has now decided to ballot 25,000 school staff and waste and recycling workers for strike over pay today (Friday) after finance secretary Kate Forbes refused offer of last-ditch talks. The ballot will take seven weeks and will close on July 26.

Unison are recommending the workforce vote 'yes' to strike action as the only way left to move the position of the councils representative body, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). They say they intend to shut schools across Scotland when children return after the school summer break.

It came after a last-ditch attempt to avert industrial action in a letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and finance secretary Kate Forbes failed.

A senior union member has already said that Scottish teachers will go on strike if pay talks over a 2% pay hike do not lead to an acceptable agreement. The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) “instantly” rejected the offer and are seeking a 10% rise while inflation is at at 9%, its fastest rate for 40 years.

On Thursday, negotiators for the train drivers' union Aslef who have been in the depths of their own pay dispute decided to recommend acceptance of an improved 5% pay deal after negotiations with the nationalised rail operator's management. It has still to be put to drivers.

The union's executive commitee previously rejected a 4.2% pay offer in the midst of threatened strike action. Unlike with the latest offer, the negotiating team had not recommended either acceptance or rejection.

But the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), which represents most of the vast majority of the 5000 ScotRail staff, including conductors, ticket examiners and some drivers has rejected the offer.

The union will instead recommend to its national executive that it continues to ballot its members for strike action.

The Herald:

The Aslef pay dispute surrounds train drivers who having completed all training and a probation period are being paid some £52,000 per year – a rise of £3,640 (7.5%) in the past three years. Three years ago, the pre-nationalised service was paying £48,360 to qualified drivers.

The dispute has seen ScotRail introduce an emergency timetable which cut services by up to half after drivers refused to work on their rest days.

Union sources have said that the development clearly showed that the 2.2% offer to tens of thousands of public sector staff for 2022/23 was inadequate.

Now the  prospect of thousands of Scots local authority workers from cleaners and binmen to care workers and school staff going on strike this summer in pay disputes has come even closer as three key unions Unison, GMB and Unite prepare for strike ballots over a 2.2% offer.

In a joint letter, signed by the unions Unison, Unite and GMB,  said industrial action “would close schools across the country and see waste piling up on the streets” if a resolution was not reached.

Responding to the Aslef offer, GMB Scotland senior organiser Keir Greenaway said: "Credit to Aslef members for standing together and fighting for what they feel they are worth.

“Scottish Government ministers can be assured that GMB members across local government are doing likewise to confront the cost-of-living crisis and to make work better.

The Herald:

“Today’s developments certainly demonstrate the paltry two per cent offer currently on the table from COSLA, a figure worth less than a tenner a week extra for staff earning under £25,000 a year, is neither credible nor acceptable.

“It’s clear the only language our political leaders understand is action. That’s why we are recommending our members vote yes for strikes in our local government ballot.”

A COSLA Spokesperson said: “COSLA values the essential roles that all local government workers carry out on a daily basis. We remain in active discussions with our trade union partners.”

Aslef Scottish organiser, Kevin Lindsay described their pay offer as "significant progress".

He said: “The offer on pay has been increased to 5% and we have received improved offers on pay for rest day working, Sunday working allowances, driving instructor allowances, maternity pay and an extension of no compulsory redundancies to five years."

The ScotRail timetable relies on drivers working Sundays and rest days to keep trains running - a move the nationalised rail operator is hoping to change after it led to the swingeing service cuts.

He said Aslef's joint working party will also be looking at Sundays being part of the working week subject to negotiations by December 2027.

“All these proposals, we believe, represent a breakthrough and significant progress and is a recognition of the vital role our members play for society and the economy," he said.

“The full Aslef negotiating team is recommending acceptance of the offer to our members through a referendum subject to executive committee approval.”

Aslef initially rejected a 2.2% pay offer, before later being offered 4.2% and improved conditions.

Transport Scotland - the government's transport agency - described that offer as "both fair and affordable" but it was again rejected by the union.

ScotRail said it "welcomed" driver pay talks progress and said its offer "recognises the cost-of-living challenges faced by families and delivers good value for the public".

The 5% pay increase is broken down as a Transport Scotland-funded 2.2 per cent increase to recognise the cost-of-living challenges and a further ScotRail funded 2.8 per cent increase which "recognises and rewards the flexibility of rostering arrangements as ScotRail responds to changes in our markets as we emerge from the pandemic". The ScotRail-funded part was previously 2%.

An excess revenue share premium, which rewards all colleagues where ScotRail exceeds revenue budget targets will also be backdated to April 1, 2022.

ScotRail said that meant staff would already have earned two periods of bonus amounting to £390 net as the operator said it had exceeded targets for those periods. It said that if this paid out in full, it would be worth a one-off additional £2,535 over a year. Any further bonus scheme would have to be negotiated in future annual pay discussions.

The commitment to a no-compulsory redundancy agreement has risen from three years after previous negotiations, to five years.

The new deal also provides for an uplift of £500 per year to the driver instructor allowance.

David Simpson, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “We’ve made a really good offer which recognises the cost-of-living challenges faced by families across the country and delivers good value for the public.

“The feedback we’ve had from many drivers is that they recognise we have made a series of very good offers and we are pleased they will get a say in a referendum.

“The railway plays a vital role in growing the economy and connecting communities. Now more than ever we all need to work together to attract more people to the railway as we recover from the impact of the pandemic.”

ScotRail, which was nationalised on April 1, said the emergency timetable, which has meant 700 daily service cuts, has come as a result of the drivers' pay dispute which has meant some refusing to take up the option of working rest days and Sundays.