Two unions back single status deal
Two of the three main unions representing the SIC workforce have now voted overwhelmingly in favour of accepting the proposed new pay structure.
Following the GMB union’s 92 per cent vote for the single status offer, TGWU-Unite members have followed suit with 91 per cent acceptance. The long-delayed deal will be secured if the biggest union, Unison, also backs it in its ballot.
A report should go before councillors later this month to sanction the deal, which will add £4 million to the annual wage bill plus a one-off payment of £5m in backpay.
Commenting on the TGWU-Unite vote, local representative Alistair Christie-Henry said his members’ backing reflected “a groundswell of support to conclude negotiations and move quickly to transfer the results into the wage packets”.
He added that the process of appeals for some members had yet to start and negotiations still had to take place to include some staff groups which are not part of the current offer. These include tug and pilot boat staff at Sella Ness.
The council’s head of organisational development John Smith said he was pleased with the TGWU-Unite result, adding: “We have to wait for the remaining union ballot before we have a complete position, but I am hopeful that we are moving towards a conclusion on single status.”
