PCS Scotland ballots hundreds of government digital workers for strike action

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The move comes after a consultative ballot back in May found 99 per cent of affected union members backed retaining the long-standing Digital, Data and Technology supplement, and opposed shifting to a new Government Digital and Data (GDD) supplement; 95 per cent were willing to strike to keep it.

Moving to GDD would leave 71 per cent of the 1,560 workers in the division no longer eligible and face an effective £5,000 pay cut, worth up to 14 per cent total pay.

Launching the strike ballot, PCS Scotland national officer Ruby Gibson, said: “This is an attack on the pay of more than 1,100 digital workers, many of whom stand to lose £5,000 a year through no fault of their own. 

“The Scottish government cannot simply strip workers of a significant part of their pay and expect them to accept it without a fight.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Civil service management continues to engage with trade unions on this issue and understand the concerns of the staff affected. Unions have been fully represented during the review process with the opportunity to present views.“Pay supplements are temporary, non-contractual, payments which may be awarded in respect of posts which are affected by recruitment and retention difficulties and are subject to regular review to ensure that they remain necessary and justified.

“The award of pay supplements is at management discretion and linked directly to the need to recruit and retain staff with the necessary skills to fill posts which are subject to market pressures.”