Minister issues warning over public sector pay deal funding
- Published
The Scottish government has urged Westminster to provide additional funding for public sector pay deals.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said failure to do so would risk an inability to fund equivalent offers without cuts to public services.
Mr Swinney, who has taken on the finance and economy portfolio, issued the warning in a letter to Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi.
The UK government said it had provided Holyrood with a record settlement.
But Mr Swinney outlined concerns that last year's UK Spending Review did not take into account the level of pay increases recently proposed by independent pay review bodies.
Mr Swinney, who is covering Kate Forbes' brief while she is on maternity leave, also said the Spending Review did not consider the wider effects of rising inflation.
And he added that without further funding, the Scottish government may only be able to issue similar pay rises by reducing budgets elsewhere.
He wrote: "Further to the joint letter from devolved administration finance ministers to you on July 15, and in light of the UK government's subsequent announcements regarding public sector pay, I am concerned that no associated funding is being provided to meet these additional costs.
"Last year's UK Spending Review, which as you know determines the majority of the Scottish Budget, did not take account of the levels of pay uplift now proposed or indeed the wider effects of inflation.
"The associated reduction in spending power across public sector budgets is deeply worrying for our public services and our capacity to respond to the cost of living crisis, which will undoubtedly bring renewed challenges through the coming autumn and winter period."
'Deep cuts'
The call for more funding comes as pay offers to a range of public sector workers in Scotland have been rejected by unions, raising the prospect of frontline services being impacted by industrial action. This includes:
All of the major NHS trade unions are currently balloting members to see if they want to reject a 5% pay offer from the Scottish government and if they would consider industrial action if a new deal cannot be reached.
Hundreds of schools and waste services could be affected if strikes go ahead after council staff rejected a 2% pay offer.
An improved 3.4% pay rise offered to Scotland's police officers has been rejected. Scottish Police Federation members have withdrawn "all goodwill" as a result of the dispute which the union said would be escalated without an improved offer by 5 August.
Mr Swinney warned that Holyrood's fixed budgets, restricted borrowing powers, the inability to change tax policy and the lack of additional funding for public sector pay deals via the Barnett Formula meant the Scottish government could only replicate these pay deals for public workers in Scotland with "deep cuts to public services".
He added: "I would urge you to consider appropriate funding for public sector pay, and would welcome early discussions with you on this matter."
'Collective failures'
A UK government spokesperson said: "We have provided the Scottish government with a record £41bn per year for the next three years, the highest spending review settlement since devolution.
"As a result, the Scottish government is receiving around £126 per person for every £100 per person of equivalent UK government spending in England over the next three years.
"We're also helping to tackle the rising cost of living, protecting eight million of the most vulnerable families with direct payments of £1,200 this year, and providing additional payments to pensioners and disabled people."
Scottish Labour's finance spokesman Daniel Johnson said it was not acceptable for both governments to blame one another for their "collective failures".
He added: "It is the SNP who have, for almost 15 years, failed to value public sector workers or prioritise fair pay deals for them, all while the Tories have presided over a massive transfer of wealth to top earners.
"To fix this we need an economy that is growing and relentlessly focused on giving everyone a chance to succeed.
"Neither the SNP or the Tories are willing or able to use the powers at Holyrood or Westminster to do that."
- Published12 July 2022
- Published20 July 2022
