John Swinney has urged a trade union to call-off a strike which has shuttered schools across Perthshire.
Unison has repeatedly rejected a pay offer worth 3.6 per cent for council staff despite two other unions already having accepted it.
The dispute has now entered its second week and has led to the closure of almost half of primary schools across the Perth & Kinross council area.
Unison has targeted the area for industrial action as it includes the home constituency of the First Minister. The strike has led to a walk-out of school support staff like janitors and cleaners.
Members of the GMB and Unite unions previously accepted a pay offer for its members working on councils.
In a letter to a local Unison boss, Swinney insisted no more money was available to increase the pay offer on the table.
“Although the Scottish Government has no formal role in these pay negotiations, we have taken extraordinary decisions within a challenging financial context to identify an additional £77.5 million to support local government pay,” he said.
“This is at the absolute limit of affordability and there is no more available funding from the Scottish Government.”
The First Minister added: “GMB and Unite members have already overwhelmingly accepted this offer and council leaders have agreed to implement the pay offer to ensure valued workers get pay in their pockets before Christmas.
“I know that local government remain fully committed to the negotiation process and are continuing dialogue with all Trade Union partners in order to reach a collective agreement.
“You will be aware that I do not think it is fair that the education of children and young people in Perth and Kinross is being disrupted because one of their local MSPs is also the First Minister of Scotland.
“I very much hope that Unison will continue meaningful dialogue with local government and join with GMB and Unite colleagues by accepting the offer and ending industrial action.”
Stuart Hope, Unison Perth and Kinross branch secretary, previously insisted the First Minister could end the dispute by providing further cash for councils to fund workers’ pay – despite Swinney having already declared there is no more money available.
“John Swinney is the one who can end this dispute as most council funding comes from the Scottish Government,” he said. “Education staff do not want to close schools. They all love their jobs and would prefer to be supporting children.
“The way to solve this is for Cosla, the Scottish Government and the union to sit down in the same room and talk. Staff need to be valued and treated equally to other public sector workers with the same level of investment.”
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