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Strikes in schools and early years set to continue

UNISON has served notice of further strike action to five more local authorities in Scotland. 

Staff working in schools – and early years establishments linked to schools – within Stirling, Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, Angus and Perth & Kinross councils will walk out on Wednesday, 15 November. 

This follows one-day strike action on Wednesday 1st November in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire. A further one-day strike action will take place in South Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh and Fife on Wednesday, 8 November, with further strike dates announced in due course. 

The move comes after UNISON members voted overwhelmingly to reject COSLA’s latest pay offer. More than 21,000 workers represented by the union took three days of strike action in September, resulting in the closure of 75% of Scotland’s schools. 

UNISON Scotland’s head of local government Johanna Baxter said: “The strength of feeling among UNISON’s 91,000 local government members, who voted overwhelmingly to reject COSLA’s latest pay offer, is clear.  They are determined to continue to fight to get an improved pay offer. 

“While no deal has yet been reached, we continue to have constructive dialogue with COSLA and we remain committed to resolving this dispute as soon as possible. 

“COSLA and the Scottish government need to give local government workers a decent wage rise, fund any increase properly and commit to implementing a minimum underpinning rate of pay of £15 per hour for all local government workers.