UNISON, the largest local government union, has notified Perth and Kinross Council that schools and early years centres will close for two weeks from 21 October, in a pay dispute that affects all council staff in Scotland, the union says today (Tuesday).
Focusing long-term action on the first minister’s constituency should bring home to him the importance of finding a fair settlement to this dispute, says the union.
Council workers in Scotland are angry their pay offer is not in line with other public service workers, many of whom have been offered 5.5% pay rises, UNISON says.
The strikes will start immediately after the two-week October school holiday, meaning schools could be shut for a full month.
UNISON Perth and Kinross branch secretary Stuart Hope said: “Taking action like this is the last thing school and early years staff want to do.
“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.
“John Swinney is invited to join one of the picket lines to hear how undervalued council staff in his constituency feel.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the largest union in local government. The union represent staff in education, local government, social care, NHS, police services, utilities, energy and the voluntary sector.
– Councils where UNISON has a mandate for strike action in waste, recycling and street cleaning are: Clackmannanshire Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council, East Ayrshire Council, East Lothian Council, Fife Council, Glasgow City Council, Inverclyde Council, Midlothian Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Perth & Kinross Council, South Lanarkshire Council, Stirling Council and West Lothian Council, plus Cireco, an arms-length waste management specialist company.
– Councils where UNISON has mandates in schools and early years: Perth and Kinross; Shetland; Orkney; East Renfrewshire; and Angus.