11 September 2014
UNISON agrees death benefit increase for council staff
UNISON has been successful in agreeing an increase in death benefit for City of Edinburgh Council employees from £3,000 to £4,000.
The trade union side applauded the City of Edinburgh Council’s commitment to a death benefit scheme and recognised the huge support that this provides to employees’ loved ones on the sad event of their death while in the service of the council.
UNISON pointed out that, as the original scheme had come into place nearly 16 years ago on 15 June 1998, with a benefit value of £3000, it would be requesting a review of this amount.
The amount of £3000 would have contributed greatly to the costs associated following the death of a loved one and the subsequent funeral. However, the union brought forward evidence of the effects of inflation and increased funeral costs and, although its target had been £5,000, it welcomed the increase to £4,000.
