WAGES in Scotland are now lower than the rest of the UK according to new evidence presented by Scotland’s largest trade union body. 

As the three day STUC annual congress got underway this morning, the organisation revealed that median pay north of the Border is now lower than the UK average, with salaries falling since January 2022. 

The trend is in contrast to every other region of the UK, with the median pay rate in Scotland now falling behind the UK average for the first time since July 2014. 

Ahead of the local government elections on May 5, the union body is calling for an increase in pay for council workers. Despite more than half earning below £25,000 a year, council employees have faced a decade of real-terms cuts in pay.  

The STUC say the figures show that by not keeping up with inflation the average council worker has lost out more than £4000 since 2010. 

READ MORE: STUC to step up calls to SNP for council tax reform amid growing anger

The revelations come as the STUC congress, meeting in Aberdeen, overwhelmingly passed policy this morning to demand a cost-of-living pay increase for public sector workers, reinforced by a national demonstration on pay and conditions. 

The congress, returning in person for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, is due to be addressed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon later today. 

STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “Workers in Scotland can now, on average, expect to take home less money each month when compared to others across the UK.  

"For this to happen at any time is stark. For it to happen during the gravest cost-of-living crisis we’ve seen for generations is unforgivable. 

“The Scottish Government must give Scotland’s public sector workers the cost of living pay increase they deserve. Our research has shown that, on average, government inaction on council worker pay has cost workers £4000 since 2010 with 55 per cent of council workers earning below £25,000. 

“Now more than ever, government should be standing by our pandemic heroes giving them their overdue and much warranted public sector pay rise."

Following the motion at STUC Congress, Unite Deputy Scottish Secretary and STUC General Council Member Mary Alexander said: “Within their spending review, it is entirely within the grasp of the Scottish Government to fund local government to a level worthy of our public sector workers. 

“Our message to the Scottish Government is clear: you cannot build a Fair Work Nation on the backs of impoverished workers. The political elite were far too quick to clap for our public sector. It’s lamentable they’ve been far too slow in paying them. 

“We will be campaigning for significantly increased investment for local government in the 2023-2024 budget alongside support for all public services.  Government should be in no doubt that Scotland’s workers won’t stand idle whilst their wages stagnate even further during a cost-of-living crisis." 

A Scottish Government spokesman said:  “Scotland has the highest median monthly salary of any part of the UK outside of London, the South East and the East of England.

“In addition, the majority of taxpayers in Scotland will pay less income tax in 2022-23 than they would elsewhere in the UK, for the fifth year in a row.

“As previously stated, we are doing all we can to ensure council and other public sector workers are given as much support as possible to deal with the rising cost of living.

"Many of the powers required to tackle these issues, including energy markets, are reserved to the UK Government, but the vital steps we proposed for the Chancellor’s Spring Statement were largely ignored.

“The Scottish Government has consistently called for employers in all sectors to provide workers with a fair and equitable wage for the work they do along with safe and secure working environments.

“While employment law is reserved, we are clear that all employees must be paid fairly for the work they do. That is why the Scottish Government continues to support payment of, at least, the real Living Wage to build a more resilient economy, a more equal labour market, and foster inclusive growth.”