Schools and services face chaos after council staff vote to strike

SCHOOLS, nurseries, recycling centres and other services are set to face mass disruption after thousands of council workers voted to strike.

Members of the Unison trade union in every local authority voted to reject a 2 per cent pay rise offered by council umbrella body Cosla.

In nine of the council areas the number of staff voting exceeded the 50 per cent turnout required for industrial action within public services. It could lead to school closures in Glasgow, Stirling, Aberdeenshire, East Renfrewshire, North and South Lanarkshire, Clackmannanshire, Inverclyde and Orkney.

Johanna Baxter of Unison said: ‘Cosla leaders must put an improved offer on the table if we are to avoid large-scale disruption to council services.

‘Council workers south of the Border yesterday were offered a flat rate uplift of £1925, which for those on the lowest pay equates to a 10.5 per cent increase. You

‘Children have suffered enough’

have to wonder why council workers north of the Border have only been offered a measly 2 per cent increase when the cost of living continues to spiral.’

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: ‘This strike action is deeply concerning – particularly the threat of school closures at the start of the new term. Scotland’s schoolchildren have suffered enough during the pandemic without their education being further hit.

‘The root cause of this problem is the SNP Government – because they have systematically underfunded Scotland’s local authorities for years.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Pay settlements for council workers – excluding teachers – are a matter for Cosla and are determined through negotiations at the Scottish Joint Committee. The Scottish Government urges all parties to seek a resolution which avoids industrial action.’