Union warns more Scotland school strikes planned in dispute

More than 21,000 Unison members in 1,868 schools went on strike for three days

More school strikes have been planned in a dispute over pay for support staff, a union has announced.

Unison sent a written warning to Cosla and the Scottish government on the day students returned to their classrooms.

Schools in 24 council areas were closed for three days this week, after Unison rejected an offer from Cosla, the umbrella body for Scotland's local authorities.

Cosla said it had already "made every effort to avert the strike".

The Scottish government freed up £80m so Cosla could make the improved offer, which includes a rise of about £2,000 a year for the lowest paid.

Unite and the GMB suspended strike plans while members were consulted.

The dispute is over a pay offer for non-teaching school staff including janitors, canteen workers, classroom assistants, cleaners, admin staff and nursery staff.

Unison said more than 21,000 of its members in 1,868 schools walked out during the three-day strike.

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The letter calls on Cosla to "come clean" over the details of its revised pay offer.

A union spokesperson said: "Cosla has implied the deal is mostly a flat-rate payment, but the reality is a complex percentage deal related to hours worked."

Unison said amended pay scales had not been published alongside the pay offer, meaning the council staff did not have the vital information required to help them decide whether to accept or reject the offer.

Johanna Baxter, Unison Scotland's head of local government, said: "The strength of feeling amongst Unison school staff has been clear for all to see on picket lines across Scotland. There's also been a surge in membership, which is testament to the strength of local government workers' resolve to continue their fight for fair pay."

She added: "Cosla must come clean about how the offer will affect revised pay scales and clarify precisely where the money will come from.

"There's considerable concern that channelling money from the Redress Scheme and Pupil Equity Funds will affect jobs and the services provided to vulnerable children."

'Damaging action'

A Cosla spokesperson said they had made every effort to avert the strikes.

He said: "We have listened to our trade unions, met their asks and worked with Scottish government to put an incredibly strong half a billion pound pay package on the table.

"Strikes are in nobody's interests and benefit no-one, least of all children and young people and their families."

He added: "I would ask Unison to reconsider pressing ahead with this damaging action and allow their members to consider this offer."

A Scottish government spokesman said pay negotiations were a matter for local authorities as employers and unions.

"We have worked constructively in partnership with Cosla and councils to find a solution, facilitated by an additional £80 million of funding and flexibility from the Scottish government," he said.

"As we have said, there will be no detrimental impact on jobs or services, including on Pupil Equity Funding levels or operation of the redress scheme, as a result of this additional funding."

The spokesman added £155m had already been provided in 2023/24 to support a "meaningful pay rise" for local government workers and said assurances over funding had been provided for the following academic year.