Scotland's teachers will walk out today in the first national strike over pay for almost 40 years.
The action by members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is expected to close the majority of schools around the country.
A last-ditch offer made on Tuesday in a bid to avert strike action would see the lowest paid staff receive a 6.85% increase, with most getting 5%.
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That was rejected by the EIS, and its general secretary Andrea Bradley branded it an "inept rehash" of the offer made earlier this year.
Speaking after the offer was rejected, Ms Bradley said: "Teachers overwhelmingly rejected a 5% offer more than three months ago and now, after months of prevarication and weeks of empty promises, Cosla and the Scottish Government come back with an offer that is worth that same 5% to the vast majority of teachers."
"This is not, as the Scottish Government claims, a progressive offer - it is a divisive offer, made on a differentiated basis, which is actually worse for many teachers in promoted posts."
Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at the Royal Mail will also strike on Thursday and on Black Friday as industrial unrest continues to spread across the country.
A series of strikes are also planned in December, including Christmas Eve, in one of the longest-running disputes of a year dominated by stoppages.
Royal Mail says it has made its "best and final offer" aimed at resolving the dispute, including "extensive improvements" made during negotiations with the CWU, such as an enhanced pay deal of up to 9% over 18 months, offering to develop a new profit share scheme for employees, and making voluntary redundancy terms more generous.
CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: "We are disappointed that instead of reaching a compromise to avoid major disruption, Royal Mail have chosen to pursue such an aggressive strategy.
"We will not accept that 115,000 Royal Mail workers - the people who kept us connected during the pandemic, and made millions in profit for bosses and shareholders - take such a devastating blow to their livelihoods.
"These proposals spell the end of Royal Mail as we know it and its degradation from a national institution into an unreliable, Uber-style gig economy company.
"Make no mistake about it, British postal workers are facing an Armageddon moment.
"We urge every member of the public to stand with their postie, and back them like never before."
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