Scottish school staff strike threat over pay deal, warns union

author: FutureCar Staff    

Essential school staff in Scotland have issued a warning that they will go on strike in the autumn unless a pay deal is reached. The strike action is being organized by the union Unison, representing workers such as cleaners, janitors, and support staff. The union has reported that workers in 24 out of the country's 32 council areas have voted in favor of striking. This is the largest ever vote for strike action by school staff in Scotland.

The strike action is a response to a 5% pay offer from employer body Cosla, which Unison has described as inadequate. The union has balloted school staff working for every council in Scotland and has received an "unprecedented" response. Workers were due a pay rise in April and have been offered an additional increase dependent on salary from January 2024 for all local government workers.

In addition to Unison, non-teaching school staff who are members of GMB Scotland have also voted to strike. They have announced strike dates of September 13 and 14 across several areas in Scotland. The 24 councils where Unison strikes are threatened include Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dumfries & Galloway, Dundee City, and East Dunbartonshire, among others.

Unison Scotland's local government committee will meet next week to discuss the next steps for industrial action, which is likely to take place in early autumn. The union's secretary in Scotland, Lilian Macer, expressed the level of anger felt by staff and emphasized the union's commitment to resolving the dispute through negotiations with Cosla. Unison Scotland local government committee chair, Mark Ferguson, called on Cosla to address the union's demands for improved fair pay.

Cosla leaders are meeting to discuss the pay negotiations for the Scottish Joint Council (SJC) workforce. The council leaders reiterated their value for the local government workforce and discussed options for concluding the negotiations once the outcome of the current ballots is known. The Scottish Government has provided additional funding to support a meaningful pay rise for local government workers, and they urge all parties involved to work together constructively to reach an agreement that is fair and affordable.

In the event of any industrial action, the Scottish Government expects local authorities to ensure that schools remain open as far as possible, taking into consideration health and safety risk assessments, to minimize disruption to teaching and learning.

FutureCar Staff