Schools in First Minister John Swinney's constituency could close for two weeks as union announces strike dates in Perth and Kinross

The walkouts are set to begin immediately after the October holiday, meaning schools could be shut for a full month.

Jenness Mitchell

Scotland reporter

Tuesday 8 October 2024 15:11, UK

Schools and early years centres in First Minister John Swinney's constituency could close for two weeks due to targeted strike action by a union amid a row over pay.

Unison has notified Perth and Kinross Council that its members will take industrial action for two weeks from Monday 21 October.

The walkouts are set to begin immediately after the October holiday, meaning schools could be shut for a full month.

Mr Swinney is the MSP for Perthshire North, with Unison saying it is "focusing long-term action" in his constituency to "bring home to him the importance of finding a fair settlement to this dispute".

Stuart Hope, Unison Perth and Kinross branch secretary, said: "John Swinney is invited to join one of the picket lines to hear how undervalued council staff in his constituency feel."

The action comes after council leaders last month voted to impose a deal from local government umbrella body COSLA of an hourly increase of 67p or 3.6%, whichever is higher.

Unison members rejected the offer, while GMB and Unite workers accepted it.

COSLA has repeatedly said the deal is at the "absolute limit of affordability" given the tight financial situation.

However, Unison says council workers in Scotland "are angry" that the pay offer is not in line with other public service workers who have been offered 5.5% increases.

Mr Hope said: "Employees are taking this first stand on behalf of all local government workers because they've seen a decade of pay cuts and they see other sectors being offered deals of greater value.

"A fair pay deal should have been in place from 1 April, but six months later it's still not been agreed.

"Instead, the employer has imposed a wage rise rejected by a majority of the workers Unison represents. Yet again local government staff are being forced to strike to simply get fair pay.

"The Scottish government needs to understand that council staff need more than platitudes.

"Ministers must tackle the severe decline in local government funding and start to value councils and their dedicated workforce as they do other areas of public services."

Councillor Katie Hagmann, COSLA resources spokesperson, said the pay award was implemented to ensure staff received the uplift and backpay "without further delay".

She said the offer is worth 4.27% across the workforce and is "aligned to the pay award for teaching staff".

More than 75% of the Scottish Joint Council (SJC) workforce will receive an uplift above 3.6%, with up to 5.63% for the lowest paid.

Ms Hagmann once again said the deal is at the "absolute limit of affordability", adding: "There is no further funding available to increase the value of the offer."

She urged Unison to reconsider its stance, stating that "industrial action is in nobody's interests".

Ms Hagmann added: "Implementation of the pay award does not mean that discussions will end.

"COSLA remains fully committed to the negotiation process and we will continue dialogue with all our trade union partners, with the ambition to reach a collective agreement, if at all possible."

Alongside Perth and Kinross Council, Unison also has a mandate for strike action in schools and early years centres in Angus, East Renfrewshire, Orkney and Shetland.

The union also has a mandate for strike action in waste, recycling and street cleaning in Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Fife, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, Perth and Kinross, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, and West Lothian.

Cireco, an arms-length waste management specialist company, is also included.

Finance and Local Government Secretary Shona Robison said: "While this government respects workers' rights, no one's interests will be served by industrial action which will disrupt children and young people attending schools and nurseries in Perth and Kinross.

"The pay offer is better than that made to local government workers in the rest of the UK and will see the lowest paid workers, including Unison members, receive a 5.63% pay increase.

"I hope that Unison members recognise the strength of this offer which has already been accepted by GMB and Unite."

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