Strikes set to close Glasgow primary and nursery schools called off
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Strike action which was set to close all primary, nursery and additional support for learning schools in Glasgow for two days next week has been called off.
Council staff had threatened industrial action over an equal pay dispute.
The walkout on Tuesday and Wednesday was also due to hit care services in the city.
But the Unison and GMB unions have now said the council has made "significant concessions" and talks will resume.
Glasgow City Council has confirmed schools and nurseries will be open as normal next week.
It said it was "committed to delivering pay equality and firmly believes that negotiation is the way to settle these cases".
However, proposed strike action on 20 and 21 April remains in place.
The industrial action stems from the long-running equal pay dispute, mainly involving female workers, which was settled at an estimated cost of £500m in 2019.
However, unions have accused the council of "unnecessary delays" in settling claims from after March 2018.
The GMB said it had now received assurances from Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken that the 2019 deal will be maintained for negotiations over interim payments.
It added that those payments would now be delivered by October.
'Deep mistrust'
GMB Scotland organiser Sean Baillie said: "This is not a decision taken lightly. There is a deep mistrust of the council among our members, and particularly toward the unelected officials who have consistently hindered progress to tackle the pay discrimination which they imposed.
"The strike actions for the 20th and 21st of April remain scheduled.
"We expect the council leader's participation in talks over the coming days and weeks, and that an offer and plan for the settlement and payment of interim and new claims is set out in advance of 20th April."
Unison said it would suspend strike action "while we enter three weeks of intense negotiations to work out the detail of these welcome statements".
The union's Scottish secretary Tracey Dalling said: "Nobody should be under any misapprehension about the anger of women in Glasgow. They are determined to see this through. They have been fighting this for over 15 years.
"It is simply appalling that low-paid women workers have to threaten to go on strike to get wages which are rightfully theirs."
A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: "Earlier this month, committee gave officials authority to make offers to thousands of claimants - and we are pleased that unions have chosen to call off next week's industrial action.
"We've agreed to meet at an early opportunity."