The offer delivers individual increases including progression, non-consolidated payments and underpin uplifts ranging from 4% to 12.74% – above the current rate of inflation. The key elements of the deal are:

• All pay steps of £36,500 and under will increase by 3% with an underpinning minimum increase of £750 (pro-rated for part-time staff).

• A3 minimum increases to £19,314, ie £10 an hour.

• Pay range maxima at B3, C1, C2, and C3 increase by 3%.
• Individual pay step adjustments to ensure 5% gaps between grades, and some evening up in progression steps.
• Progression payments will continue as appropriate.
• 1% non-consolidated payments for staff on their pay range maximum.
• 2.5% increase in fixed-rate allowances.
• The guarantee of no compulsory redundancies is extended to 31 March 2020.
• Amendments to the definition of the working day/week in contracts of employment to reflect current working arrangements.
• Introduction of a new rate of on-call payment of £10 a day for single periods of on-call that are under 10 hours in duration.
• Review of C3 grade.
• A review of special leave to include union claims for disability leave and baby loss leave.
• A review of family leave including qualifying periods for paternity leave and the case for improving parental leave.
• An evidence-based study of working time to include working hours and well-being.
• An equal pay audit.
• A separate discussion on a review of travel and subsistence rates outside of pay negotiations.

The Scottish Government has published details of the offer on the Saltire staff intranet. You can use this information to check how the offer will affect you.

Your Branch Executive Committee is recommending that members accept the offer.

Prospect national secretary Richard Hardy said: "Prospect has achieved some significant results in this offer, despite Scottish ministers' pay policy. We have demonstrated the value of trade unions and collective bargaining in securing better outcomes for members. 

"Although we may have not started fully on the road to pay restitution, we have ensured that members' pay does not decrease in real terms."

• The offer delivers a range of above-inflation pay rises ranging from 4% to 13.71% when progression and non-consolidated increases are included.
• All staff who qualify receive above-inflation awards in the 2019-20 pay year.
• The offer includes additional protection for the lowest paid, with the minimum award of £750 and more at the A3 entry level to ensure a new minimum rate of £10 an hour.
• The guarantee of job security from the no compulsory redundancy agreement negotiated with Scottish ministers some years ago is extended for a further year.
• We have achieved a commitment from management to review special leave, family leave and working hours with a view to further improvements.
• Allowances are increased above inflation and a new on-call allowance will ensure staff are paid for all hours worked
• Our claim for a long-overdue review of travel and subsistence rates has been met.

"Although the offer falls short of all the objectives in our pay claim, we believe we can recommend the final offer to members because it addresses many of our key demands for fair pay. Management has also ensured the maximum use of all money available under the pay policy," said Hardy.

"Prospect has also received a commitment from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Derek Mackay, that he would welcome joint working with the trade unions to take a longer term view of public sector pay policy in 2020-21 and beyond with a view to restoring the value of public sector pay in Scotland.

"Given that the Scottish Government has made maximum use of the pay policy with inflation-proofed awards and we have secured the Cabinet Secretary’s commitment to work with unions to deliver restoration of the value of our pay, the Branch Executive Committee is recommending that members accept the offer," Hardy concluded.

Ballot process

It is intended to ballot members over the next few weeks.  An electronic ballot paper will be sent to your registered ballot address in the week beginning 3 June. It’s therefore most important that we have the correct information for you. You can check your details by registering and logging in to Prospect's website

We will seek to hold members' meetings to discuss the offer where members working at the same location request one. Please talk to your local representative as soon as possible if you wish to have a meeting with the negotiating team. 

We would suggest that members might want to delay returning ballot papers until we have discussed the offer and the branch recommendation at those meetings where they are held.

If you don’t receive a ballot email by Friday 7 June, please contact the Edinburgh office on 0131 558 2660.

IF YOU ARE NOT A PROSPECT MEMBER, WHY NOT JOIN US IN OUR CAMPAIGN FOR FAIR PAY