Union criticises Alex Plant for remaining in ‘ivory tower’ after refusing to engage in direct talks 
 
Further strike action is set to shake Scottish Water as the dispute over pay continues to boil over due to no new formal pay offer.
 
Strike action is set to take place on 2 June until the end of 8 June involving Unite’s 500-strong membership at offices and wastewater treatment works across the whole of Scotland (see notes to editors).
 
Unite has taken direct aim at the Chief Executive, Alex Plant, for remaining in an ‘ivory tower’ after refusing in correspondence to the trade union to take direct part in pay negotiations despite stating his ‘door is open’.
 
The trade unions including Unite agreed to postpone scheduled action on Friday 2 May and Tuesday 6 May after last-minute talks led to a potential breakthrough in the dispute with ‘clear indications’ that a new offer would be tabled. 
 
To date, no new formal has been tabled with Unite in order for it be considered, and then potentially put out to the wider Scottish Water membership for consultation.  
 
The trade union claims that Scottish Water executives have ‘deliberately misled’ government ministers, MSPs and the public by stating they have not withdrawn pay offers made to the workforce only to subsequently table an ‘inferior’ offer. 
 
The current offer on the table amounts to 3.4 per cent or £1,050 for those on the lowest grades but over a nine-month period.
 
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 general secretary Sharon Graham, said: “Scottish Water workers will not be forced into accepting an unacceptable pay offer as executives feather their own nests with eye-watering pay packages. Unite will continue to stand with our members in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions at Scottish Water.”
 
Unite fully expects that the industrial action will directly impact Scottish Water’s ability to respond to water leakages, flooding, pollution, and quality concerns. 
 
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. 
 
Sam Ritchie, Unite industrial officer, said: “Unite agreed to postpone previous industrial action in a gesture of goodwill as Scottish Water management gave clear indications a new offer would be imminently tabled. The best part of two weeks have passed and still no new offer. They are taking our members for a ride.”
 
“Throughout this dispute, Alex Plant has remained in his ivory tower, which is one incidentally paid for by the taxpayer. Our members are being forced to take strike action due to the arrogance and indifference of Scottish Water executives towards their dedicated workforce. Scottish Water have it within their gift to resolve this dispute at any moment, yet they refuse to.”
 
 
ENDS
 
Notes to Editor:   
 
Unite will be taking industrial action and holding pickets from 2 June until the end of 8 June at the following locations. 
 
Inverness Henderson House, Henderson Drive, Inverness. 
 
Dundee Bullion House, 84 Main Street Invergowrie Dundee, DD2 5BE.
 
Clatto WTW, Dundee, DD3 9SE. 
 
Edinburgh Fairmilehead Office, 55 Buckstone Terrace, Edinburgh, EH10 6XH. 
 
Juniper House, Research Avenue North Heriot Watt Campus Currie, Edinburgh, EH14 4AL. 
 
Stirling Forth House, Munro Road Stirling, FK7 7SY.  
 
Irvine Meadowhead Wastewater Treatment Works, Meadowhead Road, Ayrshire, Irvine, KA11 5AY. 
 
Cumnock (Underwood), Waste Water Treatment Works, Auchinleck Road, KA18 1RS. 
 
Camphill, Waste Water Treatment Works, Largs Road, Ayrshire KA24 4LT. 
 
‘The Bridge’ Office, 6 Buchanan Gate Stepps Glasgow, G33 6FB.
 
Partick, Waste Water Treatment Works, 33 Dumbarton Road Glasgow, G11 6PD. 
 
Dalmoak, Waste Water Treatment Works, Renton Road, G82 4HQ. 
 
Shieldhall, Waste Water Treatment Works, 38 Renfrew Road Govan Glasgow, G51 4SU. 
 
Hamilton, Waste Water Treatment Works, Bothwell Road Lanarkshire, ML3 0EF.   
 
 
For media enquiries please contact Andrew Brady on 07810157922. 
Email andrew.brady@unitetheunion.org 
 
Unite Scotland is the country’s biggest and most diverse trade union with around 150,000 members. The union is led in Scotland by Derek Thomson.