A SCOTTISH National Party minister has claimed her 23 per cent salary hike is “not a pay rise” while some of the lowest paid public-sector workers in Scotland prepare to strike to reverse pay cuts. 

Social care minister Maree Todd, who  – along with junior ministerial colleagues — will rake in an extra £19,126 to total £100,575 next year, as cabinet secretaries see their salaries soar to £116,125.

She told BBC Radio Scotland: “It’s not a pay rise, it won’t cost the public purse a penny extra, and I think it’s very important that people understand that.”

Ms Todd claimed ministers had “donated £2.2 million to the public purse” since a ministerial pay freeze was instituted in 2008.

“That means ministers like me were paid £55,000 a year for their MSP work,” she insisted.

“What’s happened now is that I am now going to be paid the same as my other backbench colleagues.”

Her comments come as Unison Scotland announced plans to ballot its local authority members for strike action, with co-lead for local government David O’Connor rejecting Cosla’s 3 per cent offer as “at best a thinly veiled pay cut.”

In a letter to First Minister John Swinney, GMB Scotland secretary Louise Gilmour branded the move “unjustifiable.”

She said: “This increase sends a clear message to our members, particularly the lowest paid in our public services who are still fighting for a £15 an hour minimum which was promised years ago.

“Now, at the first opportunity, their political leaders have stuffed their pockets.

“You will [next week] host a summit to counter the far right in Scotland.

“It is these types of hypocritical actions from political leaders, and social and economic hardship, which drives support for the far right.

“Living conditions must be addressed head on. Anything else is lip service.”