Breaking: UNISON announces school strike dates
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More than three quarters of Scotland’s schools face closure later this month in a dispute over pay, as UNISON announces strike dates.
The action will affect primary and secondary schools in 24 local authorities, with 76 per cent of Scotland’s schools affected (1868 schools).
UNISON, Scotland’s largest local government union, says more than 21,000 members will take part in the action over three days from Tuesday, September 26 to Thursday, 28.
The union served 14 days’ notice of the strike action to employers earlier today.
UNISON Scotland’s head of local government, Johanna Baxter said: “Going on strike is always a last resort – our members want to be in schools supporting children not on picket lines outside them.
"But they have been left with no option.
"Local government workers overwhelmingly rejected COSLA’s below-inflation pay offer back in March and despite our repeated representations no improvement has been forthcoming.
"A real-terms pay cut in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis is a cut our members simply cannot afford. This is not a highly-paid workforce - three quarters of local government workers earn less than the average Scottish wage.
"All they want is to be paid fairly for the vital work they do supporting Scotland’s communities – COSLA and the Scottish Government need to get back round the table and work with us to deliver that.”
Chair of UNISON Scotland’s local government committee, Mark Ferguson said: "Our members are steadfast in their resolve to fight for fair pay. COSLA’s offer falls short of UNISON’s pay claim, it is also less than the offer made to the lowest paid local government staff south of the border. No-one wants to see schools close but COSLA need to come back with a significantly improved pay offer very soon if strike action is to be avoided. We remain committed to engaging in negotiations with COSLA and the Scottish Government at any point to try to resolve this dispute.”
Local authority areas affected are: Aberdeenshire Council; Highland Council; Orkney Islands Council; Shetland Islands Council; The City of Edinburgh Council; Comhairle nan Eilean Siar; Fife Council; South Lanarkshire Council; Aberdeen City Council; Glasgow City Council; Clackmannanshire Council; Moray Council; South Ayrshire Council; Stirling Council; West Dunbartonshire Council; North Ayrshire Council; East Dunbartonshire Council; Dundee City Council; Inverclyde Council; Angus Council; East Renfrewshire Council; Perth & Kinross Council; Dumfries & Galloway Council; and Renfrewshire Council.
