Strikes in schools in John Swinney’s constituency will start today amid an ongoing pay dispute. In Perth and Kinross, all primary schools, nurseries, intensive support settings, as well as two secondary schools, will be closed on Monday.
The local council have said some may be able to open later this week but they were unable to carry out risk assessments due to the mid-term October break, meaning facilities could not open immediately today.
Trade union Unison called the strike targeting the First Minister’s seat over the next fortnight after members working in non-teaching roles in schools rejected a pay offer from local authority body Cosla. The deal would have increased pay by 67p an hour or 3.6 per cent, whichever was higher.
The deal was accepted by the two other main unions and council leaders voted to impose the increase on staff. But Unison rejected the deal and pushed ahead with their industrial action.
Perth and Kinross Council hopes to be able to re-open some schools this week but said the situation would likely remain “fluid” for the duration of the strike, and “may change for individual schools on a day-to-day basis”.
The First Minister has previously described the targeting of his seat as “unacceptable” and there was “no justification” for it. He added there is no more money for the Scottish Government to hand local authorities to fund a better deal.
Colette Hunter, Unison’s local government committee chairwoman in Scotland, previously accused Mr Swinney of making “inflammatory accusations against hard-working council staff” and that, as First Minister, he “has the power and the means to resolve this dispute and avoid school closures”.
She said: “This year, teachers got a pay rise of 4.6 per cent, NHS staff received 5.5 per cent, MSPs received 6.7 per cent and some councillors got a pay rise of 13.8 per cent. Council staff are being left behind again – they have every justification in pressurising the Scottish Government to find a solution.”
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