Unions are telling council bosses to honour the pay deal and get workers the money they are owed before Christmas.

Earlier this week the Glasgow Times reported how a delay in implementing the agreed deal has left council workers fearing they won’t get the pay rise this year.

The deal was agreed after cleansing workers took strike action over the summer in a dispute over pay.

The outstanding issue, according to unions, was over the length of term for the 36-hour pay calculation, the extra day's holiday and the SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council) fees paid by some social work and home care staff.

READ MORE: Workers' cash fears over Cosla and Scottish Government delay to council pay deal

Cosla said, in a bid to resolve the issue, it was looking to separate the pay rise from the extra holiday and the payment of fees to get the pay rise into workers’ wages as soon as possible.

A spokesperson for Cosla said: "We value our Local Government workforce highly.

"That is why, in an attempt to get the money to the Local Government workforce as soon as possible, we have offered to separate the pay element of the agreement from the parts that require clarification.

“On the clarification points, in the interests of Cosla's members, and given significant financial constraints across the public sector, we are working with Scottish Government to ensure there is a shared understanding in relation to all parts of the deal.”

Union leaders, however, said it was the whole deal that was agreed and they want the whole deal honoured, now.

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser, said: “Unions are meeting Cosla officials this afternoon and the message we’ll deliver on behalf of our members is simple: Get workers paid for Christmas, honour the full terms of the deal we negotiated and our members agreed, and tell your councils immediately that you have actioned this.

“Cosla's credibility is hanging by a thread, councils are already breaking ranks to pay their workers because they can see the optics of their umbrella body’s actions with so many struggling in the grip of this cost-of-living crisis.

"It is a ridiculous situation.”