Scottish Water employees have commenced a 48-hour strike from midnight on Tuesday, intensifying an ongoing row over pay and working conditions.
The strike, organised by Unison – the union representing over 1,000 Scottish Water staff – comes after the rejection of a 2.6% pay increase, which would amount to at least £1,050 per worker.
The union insists the offer is insufficient, especially after what they describe as “a decade of real-terms pay cuts”.
This fresh round of industrial action comes on the heels of a one-day strike held on 28 March. However, the stakes are higher this time. For the next 48 hours, essential services such as emergency repairs and water quality testing will be suspended.
Customers have been advised that problems with water supply, sewage, or drainage won’t be dealt with until the strike is over.
Despite the looming disruption, Scottish Water has reassured the public. The company stated, “Contingency plans are in place to enable us to maintain normal service.”
Still, the potential for service interruptions has caused concern, particularly for rural and vulnerable communities who rely on swift response for water emergencies.
Union Stands Firm on Pay Justice
Unison Scotland’s regional organiser, Emma Phillips, voiced the frustration felt by workers, saying: “Strike action is always a last resort. Staff have suffered a decade of pay deals that haven’t kept up with inflation. They are not willing to be underpaid any longer.
The union has done everything it can to try and get Scottish Water’s senior managers to put a fair offer on the table, but they are refusing to be reasonable.”
Tricia McArthur, secretary of Unison’s Scottish Water branch, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the disparity between expectations and compensation: “Scottish Water workers are simply asking to be paid fairly for the essential services upon which everyone in Scotland relies.
Things are meant to be different in a publicly owned service like this. But senior managers are behaving no differently than those running private water companies south of the border.”
Company Insists on Fair Deal
Scottish Water’s Chief Operating Officer, Peter Farrer, defended the company’s position and expressed disappointment over the strike.
“No one benefits from industrial action, and our focus is on continuing to deliver for our millions of customers across Scotland. Our above-inflation pay proposal is fair and progressive, prioritising the highest percentage increases in the business for those on the lowest salary grades – money that should be in employees’ pockets now.”
Farrer added that a revised offer had been made after a meeting with Acas and union leaders on 15 April: “This is a good proposal, and we are disappointed that union officials have not shared it with their members and allowed them to vote on the offer in a ballot. We urge the unions to get back around the negotiating table as soon as possible.”
Ballot Support and Growing Frustration
The strike gained support following a February ballot, where 65% of members voted in favour of taking industrial action. As negotiations stall, tensions remain high, and the prospect of further disruption looms if an agreement isn’t reached soon.
This latest walkout reflects deep-rooted frustrations among Scottish Water staff who believe they’ve been left behind in a cost-of-living crisis. While the company insists its pay offer is fair, the union is demanding real change.
With essential services now on pause, both sides face mounting pressure to return to negotiations and find common ground before Scotland’s water services face longer-term disruption.
