Unite’s membership overwhelmingly backed strike action, and also strongly supported action short of a strike.

Unite is highlighting that as the pay dispute escalates to the brink of widespread industrial action executive pay at Scottish Water has now hit ‘eye-watering’ levels.

Scottish Water’s executive team were awarded £329,000 in bonuses and benefits in 2023/24. The three key executives of Scottish Water, Alex Plant Peter Farrer and Alan Scott, amassed £842,000 in remuneration packages with the outgoing chief executive Douglas Millican also collecting £55,000 before his exit in May 2023.

Alex Plant, the chief executive on top of his reported £246,000 salary received an overall remuneration package totalling £483,000. The executive and non-executive members, including the Chair, of the public body benefited from remuneration packages worth a combined £1.15m up from £854,000 in 2023

Water bills in Scotland are set to rise by 9.9 per cent in April which will equate to an average monthly household  increase for water and waste water services of £3.68 per month or £44 per year from April 1.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, said: 

“Unite’s 500-strong membership at Scottish Water is angry at the double standards gripping the executives of the public body. The strong backing for industrial action should come as no surprise with executive pay hitting eye-watering levels while a poor pay offer remains on the table. Unite will fully support our members in their next steps to secure better jobs, pay and conditions at Scottish Water.”

The basic pay offer rejected by Unite in October amounted to 3.4 per cent, or no less than £1,200 depending on salary grade. Standby payments would similarly increase by the same percentage.

Scottish Water made a revised proposal also rejected amounting to an additional £200 but the pay round would start from July 2024 – July 2025, and then commence in April for a year.  Scottish Water’s counterparts in Northern Ireland in contrast received a £1,500 non-consolidated payment and a five per cent wage rise in December.

Unite’s membership includes waste water operatives, water treatment and burst repair operatives, maintenance engineers, electricians and sewage tanker drivers. 

Due to the key frontline roles undertaken by Unite’s membership in sewers, water treatment centres and on pipework, any industrial action will directly impact Scottish Water’s ability to respond to water leakages, flooding, pollution and quality concerns.

Industrial action could involve strike action, working to rule and working only to contracted hours. Scottish Water rely heavily on workers doing overtime or the organisation would need to pay substantial payments to contractors to undertake outstanding remedial works.

Sam Ritchie, Unite industrial officer, said:  

“Scottish Water is facing widespread industrial action in the coming weeks. Its chief executive believes that substantially increasing water bills and executive pay at the expense of its hard working employees is somehow acceptable – it’s not.”

“Unite members are angry at the culture of arrogance at Scottish Water.  We will consult our members on when industrial action will now take place but let’s be clear any action will have a massive impact on the ability of Scottish Water to provide a service to the Scottish public. The blame for this situation will lie entirely with Alex Plant and Scottish Water executives.”

Click on this link for Scottish Water’s Annual Accounts 2023/24.

MSPs The Scottish Parliament are responsible for holding Scottish Water and Ministers to account. The Scottish Water Board comprises a Chair and Non-Executive Members, who are appointed by the Scottish Ministers, and Executive Members including the Chief Executive, who are appointed by Scottish Water.