Scottish public sector staff could possibly be supplied a 4 day week in alternate for a pay minimize as a part of plans to scale back the price of the civil service.
Paperwork printed alongside this week’s SNP spending evaluate, which outlined the necessity to plug an estimated £3.5 billion black gap, stated the transfer presents an ‘alternative’ to scale back spending on salaries.
Officers stated they wish to discover ‘non-pay’ advantages of a decreased working week, together with the ‘proper to disconnect’ by working in the future much less.
‘In the long run, this could possibly be a chance to restrict the associated fee burden of pay awards to employers,’ the doc stated.
Nonetheless, Scottish Conservatives branded the plan a ‘fantasy’ and stated it could cut back public providers by 20%.
In the meantime, commerce unions stated it was ‘insulting’ and ‘ill-thought via’.
Cat Boyd, the nationwide officer for the PCS union which is campaigning for a four-day week within the public sector with no lack of pay, informed The Telegraph: ‘Our members shouldered the burden of austerity in 2010.
‘Now, we’re seeing threats of additional pay cuts for the employees who helped maintain Scotland working throughout the pandemic.
‘A shorter working week has been proven, via independently commissioned analysis, to enhance productiveness and wellbeing with out requiring a discount in pay.
‘Any discount to the working week which cuts pay reverses the financial and workforce advantages.
‘Any proposal which features a additional lack of pay coupled with a minimize in hours represents extra damaged guarantees from the Scottish Authorities with regards to their very own workers.’
Scotland has already pledged £10million kilos to personal corporations trialling four-day weeks the place staff retain their pay ranges.
The same public sector scheme is ready to be rolled out later this yr, with particulars not but printed.
Kate Forbes, the SNP finance secretary, has insisted that continued development to public sector staffing ranges is ‘not sustainable’.
However Liz Smith, the finance spokeswoman for the Scottish Tories, described the plans as ‘cavalier economics’ that might derail public providers post-pandemic.
She stated ‘SNP ministers are decided to press forward with this nonsense’, which might additional enhance the spending black gap.
Individually, Boris Johnson has ordered 90,000 job cuts to the civil service in England to release money amid a price of dwelling disaster.
In a letter to workers forward of the Platinum Jubilee financial institution vacation weekend, the prime minister apologised for the uncertainty the cuts would trigger however stated that new and higher alternatives would end result from ministers’ long-term ambitions for the civil service.
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