Scottish Water is bracing for significant disruption as more than 1,000 employees plan to stage a two-day strike later this month, escalating tensions in an ongoing pay dispute.
Staff represented by Unite, Unison, and GMB Scotland unions will walk out on April 22 and 23, following previous industrial actions in March. The strikes are expected to impact critical services, including emergency repairs, water quality checks, and responses to issues with water supply, sewage, and drainage.
The dispute centres on dissatisfaction with Scottish Water’s latest pay offer. The unions argue that the proposed pay increase—3.4% or £1,050 for the lowest grades over nine months—is insufficient to address a decade of real-terms pay cuts caused by inflation.
Unison Scotland regional organiser Emma Phillips stated: “Staff have suffered a decade of pay deals which haven’t kept up with inflation. They’re fed up with being underpaid”.
Unite has also criticised Scottish Water executives for “deliberately wrecking” pay talks and highlighted the disparity between workers’ wages and executive bonuses, which totalled £329,000 in 2023/24.
Scottish Water maintains that its offer is fair and above inflation, prioritising higher percentage increases for lower salary grades.
The industrial action will see workers in frontline roles—such as those managing sewers, water treatment centers, and pipework—cease operations for two days. Picket lines are expected outside Scottish Water offices in major cities like Edinburgh, Inverness, Stirling, and Dundee. Unison has warned that emergency repairs and water quality checks will be suspended during the strike period.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham emphasised the critical role of workers in maintaining Scotland’s water infrastructure: “Despite the essential work they do, they have seen their pay eroded for years. Unite will support workers all the way in fighting for better jobs [and] pay”.
Similarly, GMB Scotland organiser Claire Greer accused Scottish Water of failing to negotiate productively: “This dispute is straightforward… The persistent refusal of this publicly-owned company to negotiate… should be a concern for every taxpayer.”
Scottish Water expressed disappointment over the strike decision but reiterated its commitment to resolving the dispute through dialogue. “No-one benefits from industrial action… Our focus is on continuing to deliver for our millions of customers across Scotland,” a spokesperson said.
As negotiations remain deadlocked, all eyes will be on April 22 and 23 to gauge the impact of this fresh wave of industrial action.
