Scottish schools set to close as classroom assistants and kitchen staff go on strike
More than three quarters of schools in Scotland could shut across three days in September as non-teaching staff strike over pay and conditions.
According to Unison, more than 21,000 of its members will take part in strike action between Tuesday 26 and Thursday 28 September, including cleaners, kitchen staff and school support assistants.
Unions say staff deserve "far more more" than what they describe as a "below inflation" 5% pay offer from the employer body Cosla.
Members of the GMB and Unite will also take part in the action.
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."
In August, Unison members working in schools voted to take strike action with mandates in 24 local authority areas across Scotland - including Dumfries and Galloway.
The general secretary of the Unite union, Sharon Graham said: "The entire blame for this situation is down to Cosla's ineptitude, and the Scottish Government's dithering.
"Unite's hard working council members deserve far more than 5%. They will have their union's total support in the fight for better jobs, pay and conditions in local government."
Members of GMB Scotland had originally planned to walk out in 10 council areas for two days next week but opted to suspend that action to join a coordinated strike with the the other unions later in the month.
A Cosla spokesperson said: "There was a positive meeting of council leaders earlier this week and we hope to meet the trade union colleagues as soon as possible to discuss next steps."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Local government pay negotiations are a matter for local authorities as employers and unions. The Scottish Government and Cosla have committed to respect this negotiating arrangement.
"Despite UK Government cuts, the Scottish Government has provided a further £155 million to support a meaningful pay rise for local government workers, which has been taken into account in the pay offer already made by Cosla.
"The Scottish Government urges all the parties involved to work together constructively to avoid strike action by reaching an agreement which is fair for the workforce and affordable for employers."
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