Parents and pupils are facing school closures in September after a trade union confirmed strike action over a pay dispute. Unison said school and early years workers will join bin workers who will already have staged their own walk out.
Unions are at loggerheads with council bosses over pay, with refuse and recycling staff in a majority of local authority areas poised for strike action this week. School staff and early learning workers, who do not include teachers, are also gearing up to take action.
COSLA, which represents councils, initially offered a 3.5 per cent rise to staff, which led to workers backing strike action. A revised 5 per cent offer is currently being considered.
Johanna Baxter, Unison Scotland head of local government, said: “We are in urgent negotiations with the employer to try and find a solution, but so far we have only had an offer of talks - we have not had a pay offer. Until we can explain to UNISON members how a pay offer might impact on them, council workers have been left with no choice but to strike.
“UNISON has been demanding pay talks for months and COSLA and the Scottish Government are still dragging their heels. Inflation is predicted to rise to more than 13 per cent, and our members are struggling as fuel, food and household bills go through the roof.
“Until we have a decent pay offer that we can put to UNISON members our strike action will continue and thousands of school and early years workers will be talking action across nine councils in Scotland.”
GMB Scotland have also confirmed school and early years staff in Glasgow and East Renfrewshire will strike on the three days.
Tory MSP Oliver Mundell said: “It will be extremely disappointing for parents across Scotland that the SNP has let this situation spiral to this point.
"Already facing a cost-of-living crisis, parents are now looking at yet more disruption and chaos.
"Families have already suffered enough through the pandemic. The SNP Government must not allow a situation where children once again lose out on vital learning time.”
The Daily Record has contacted COSLA for comment.
Which councils could see strike action and when will it take place?
Unison has sent notices to nine councils across Scotland over strike action between September 6 and 8. The same union’s refuse workers are set to go on strike later this week.
The councils notified include Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Orkney, North Lanarkshire, Stirling and South Lanarkshire councils.
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