Scottish school staff threaten strike over pay dispute

author: FutureCar Staff    

Essential school staff in Scotland have voted to go on strike in the autumn if a pay deal cannot be reached, according to the union Unison. The strike would involve workers such as cleaners, janitors, and support staff in 24 out of the country's 32 council areas. This is the largest ever vote for strike action by school staff in Scotland, with an "overwhelming vote in favor of strike action in every council." However, a 50% turnout is required for the strike to proceed.

Unison conducted a ballot among school staff working for every council in Scotland regarding a 5% pay offer from employer body Cosla. The union described the response as "unprecedented." Workers were supposed to receive a pay rise in April and have also been offered an additional increase based on their salary from January 2024.

Last week, non-teaching school staff who are members of GMB Scotland also voted to strike and have announced strike dates of September 13 and 14 in several areas. The 24 councils where Unison strikes are threatened include Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, City of Edinburgh, and many others.

Unison Scotland's local government committee will meet next week to plan for industrial action, which is expected to take place in early autumn. The union's secretary in Scotland, Lilian Macer, stated that Unison will do everything possible to resolve the dispute through negotiations. She emphasized that school staff would prefer to be working with children instead of being on picket lines and closing schools.

Mark Ferguson, chair of Unison Scotland's local government committee, called on Cosla to address the union's demands for fair pay. He warned that if Cosla fails to do so, schools across Scotland will close. However, Unison remains committed to dialogue and hopes that a satisfactory resolution can be reached before resorting to industrial action.

Cosla's resources spokesperson, Katie Hagmann, mentioned that council leaders value the local government workforce and discussed options for concluding pay negotiations. The Scottish Government spokesperson emphasized that local government pay negotiations are the responsibility of local authorities and unions. They urged all parties to work together constructively and reach a fair and affordable agreement. In the event of industrial action, the government expects schools to remain open as far as possible, considering health and safety assessments.

FutureCar Staff