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Scottish Water employees are set to stage a two-day strike starting on Tuesday morning, as negotiations surrounding pay continue to reach an impasse at the state-owned entity.
The union representing the workers has issued a warning that due to the strike, emergency repairs and water quality inspections for approximately 5 million residents across Scotland will not be conducted on the scheduled strike days.
More than 1,000 members of the Unison union are participating in this strike, marking the second occasion within a month amid a dispute centered on pay increases. The union rejected an earlier offer of 2.6%, which followed years of declines in real wages.
Tricia McArthur, the branch secretary for Unison at Scottish Water, expressed the sentiment of the workers, stating, “Scottish Water employees are merely seeking fair compensation for the vital services that the entire population of Scotland depends upon.”
She further commented, “In a publicly-owned service, we expected a different treatment. Yet, the actions of senior management reflect practices akin to those of private water suppliers in England.”
In response, Scottish Water has contested the figures provided by Unison, asserting that their offer included a 3.4% pay raise alongside a guaranteed increase of £1,400, which would result in a 5.5% increase for the lowest-paid workers.
The company has confirmed that it has implemented contingency measures to maintain regular service during the strike, and it encourages customers to continue reporting any issues as they arise.
Peter Farrer, chief operating officer of Scottish Water, referred to the company’s proposal as “fair and progressive,” emphasizing, “Industrial action is not beneficial for anyone involved. Our primary focus remains on providing consistent service to our millions of customers across Scotland. We hope the unions will return to the negotiating table promptly.”
Unlike their counterparts in England, Scottish water boards have not been privatized. Scottish Water maintains that it reinvests all profits—approximately £800 million annually—back into enhancing its infrastructure, which includes a network of 30,000 miles of pipelines and around 2,000 treatment facilities.
Despite Scotland’s water sector not facing the controversies regarding financial and environmental mismanagement that have emerged with privatized companies in England, such as Thames Water, there are still concerns about sewage pollution in Scotland. Agencies have indicated that the extent of such pollution may be more significant than previously understood.
Environmental Standards Scotland reported last year that thousands of sewage overflow incidents occurred within a 12-month span, with some storm overflows discharging sewage more than 500 times. The agency highlighted that these incidents are happening more frequently than anticipated, posing risks to both public health and the environment, while noting that only a small percentage of overflow sites are under thorough surveillance.
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www.theguardian.com