West Dunbartonshire Council 'desperately' need funding amid Cosla proposal offer for council workers

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Council workers in West Dunbartonshire are considering a better pay rise offer from the Scottish Government - with West Dunbartonshire Council saying they ‘desperately’ need funding from the Scottish Government to manage the proposed improved offer.Last Friday saw local authority body, Cosla, offer West Dunbartonshire Council workers a five percent pay rise offer and a minimum hourly rate of £10.50 after the unions, GMB, Unison and Unite, rejected the previous offer of a three-and-a-half percent increase.The improved pay offer was confirmed at a special Cosla meeting of council leaders after Cosla’s SNP president broke the voting deadlock of 16 a-piece to carry the motion over.West Dunbartonshire Council leader, Councillor Martin Rooney has said that West Dunbartonshire council would ‘desperately’ need funding from the Scottish Government if this proposed deal goes through.He said: “Our staff deserve a decent pay rise to recognise the vital public service they provide to local residents, businesses and our communities.“A decent pay rise not only shows that we value our staff but it also recognises the financial pressure they face as household budgets are squeezed as a result of the cost of living.“Unfortunately, the council had only budgeted for a two percent increase and we had been left with a £13.8 million budget gap in March and the free reserves had all been used to close the budget gap.“West Dunbartonshire desperately needs help and support from the Scottish Government to help fund the local government pay rise and to address the 2023/24 budget gap left by the previous SNP council.“Without additional Scottish Government help, the council will be left to find the resources from its existing planned spend.”Following