Teaching unions would demand millions in car park tax rebates
13 Feb 2019
Teaching unions would demand car park tax refunds for their members, which could cost the taxpayer millions of pounds a year, it has emerged.
EIS chief Larry Flanagan confirmed this morning that, were the charge to be imposed on teachers, they would seek to reclaim that figure in any future pay deal.
It’s not yet clear which councils will adopt the controversial approach, although Edinburgh’s SNP council leader has already confirmed the Capital will.
There are 3346 teachers in Edinburgh, which could mean a rebate for the city totalling £1.7 million a year.
There would also be huge fees for Glasgow (£2.6 million), Aberdeen (£818,000) and Dundee (£660,000) should they accept the SNP’s car park tax scheme.
In fact, if all councils had to adopt the car park tax, the total annual fee would amount to £25.6 million.
It’s the latest problem highlighted with the SNP’s car park tax, which is already being opposed by businesses and motoring groups.
On the Radio Scotland Mornings phone-in today, the vast majority of callers were fiercely against the move.
Earlier, the SNP’s council leader in Edinburgh, Adam McVey, confirmed he would be seeking to implement the tax which he admitted would cost Capital workers and businesses up to £15 million a year.
Scottish Conservative shadow finance secretary Murdo Fraser said:
“We already knew this ill-judged SNP tax would be a disaster for workers and businesses right across Scotland.
“Now it seems it would be a nightmare for the taxpayer too.
“The SNP has been so short-sighted in its drive to raid people’s pay-packets, it hasn’t stopped to think of the consequences.
“Teaching unions have now confirmed that they would seek to address the £500-a-year charge within any future pay deals.
“That could lead to the taxpayer picking up millions in additional costs – the SNP government would be better not imposing the charge at all.
“There’s now more than enough evidence for the SNP government to ignore the Green extremists and drop this unwanted and unfair tax altogether.”