SCHOOL staff across Scotland are on strike after rejecting the latest offer from employers.
Support staff in 24 council areas are walking out for three days from Tuesday, with a union chief urging the First Minister to get involved in negotiations.
The dispute is over a revised pay offer from umbrella body the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) for a pay increase for janitors, cleaners, and support workers, who are some of the lowest paid council employees.
Trade union Unison rejected the latest pay offer, which represents a minimum wage increase of £2006 for those on the Scottish Government’s living wage and a minimum increase of £1929 for workers who are earning above the living wage.
The living wage of £10.85 will increase to £11.89 under the new offer, equivalent to a 9.6% increase – but Unison has said the revised pay offer remains a “real terms pay cut” and “below the rate of inflation”.
Trade unions GMB Scotland and Unite have suspended strikes while they consider the latest offer.
Lilian Macer, Unison’s Scottish secretary, criticised the government’s response to the industrial action.
She said: “The first we heard from the First Minister was last night, asking us, urging us not to take action.
“This dispute could’ve been sorted months ago, but Humza Yousaf chose to stay silent until the last possible moment.
“It’s imperative that the First Minister move away from the cameras, move away from the press releases and come into the room and talk to Unison.
“If the Scottish Government was serious about avoiding disruption for pupils, parents and staff, ministers should have been in touch, and spoken to us – but they’ve been conspicuously absent.”
Macer criticised Cosla and the government for their response to negotiations.
Speaking on a picket line outside Carluke High School in South Lanarkshire, she said: “Cosla and the Scottish Government have taken this to the brink and this is where we are as a consequence of no discussion and no negotiation with Unison."
A spokesperson for Cosla said: “This is a very strong offer that equates to 10% or £2006 for the lowest paid at the request of the trade unions.
“Throughout these negotiations we have met every request of our trade union colleagues.”
Which schools are affected?
Staff will take part in industrial action across 24 council areas in Scotland on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Only eight regions in Scotland will be able to continue lessons as usual, and many council areas including South Lanarkshire, Fife, Inverclyde, Orkney and the Western Isles, will close schools.
Some regions have come up with compromises to allow education to continue despite strikes.
Highland Council said 27 of its schools are expected to remain open while Glasgow City Council said high schools will be open for S4-S6 pupils only on Tuesday, with a reassessment planned that day on whether any more schools and nurseries can open for the following two days.
The councils which will be impacted by the strikes are:
Aberdeen
All schools will be closed on Tuesday – this will be followed by a review before a decision is made for Wednesday and Thursday.
Parents and carers should receive letters with the full details of closures, officials said.
Aberdeenshire
Schools have been making their own decisions – with 37 closing completely and 23 closing partially.
105 schools remain open. A list is available here.
Angus
All secondary schools in the area and some primaries are shut, the council said.
The full list of early learning centres and primary schools affected can be found here.
Clackmannanshire
All secondary schools will remain open, but specialist provision will not be available.
Coalsnaughton Primary School (ELC Class closed), Fishcross Primary School and Muckhart Primary School will remain open, but all other primaries are closed.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
All schools are closed.
Dumfries and Galloway
All schools are closed, with further details available here.
Dundee
Most schools remain open, but some are closed.
A full list can be found here.
East Dunbartonshire
All primary and secondary schools are open, but ASL and nursery provision are closed.
Further information is available here.
East Renfrewshire
All schools are closed, with further information available here.
Edinburgh
All schools and nurseries in Edinburgh are closed, with further information available here.
Fife
All schools are closed, with further information available here.
Glasgow
Schools in Glasgow are closed for students up to S3 but open to senior pupils.
Further information is available here.
Highland
A total of 27 schools remain open in the Highlands, with further information available here.
Inverclyde
All council-run nurseries and schools in Inverclyde are closed.
Further information is available here.
Moray
27 schools are closed in Moray, with two partially closed and 23 open.
A full list can be found here.
North Ayrshire
All schools will be closed, with further information available here.
Orkney
Most schools are closed.
The schools that are open can be found here.
Perth and Kinross
Some 28 primaries and five secondary schools are open to pupils during the strikes, but all others are closed.
A full list of those impacted can be found here.
Renfrewshire
A large number of schools across Renfrewshire are closed.
A full list of schools impacted can be found here.
Shetland
The majority of schools in Shetland are closed.
A full list of the schools closing can be found here.
South Ayrshire
All schools are closed, with further information available here.
South Lanarkshire
All schools in South Lanarkshire are closed, with further information available here.
Stirling
Some schools and nurseries remain open, with further information available here.
West Dunbartonshire
All schools are closed.
The full list can be found here.
