SCHOOL staff in 10 council areas have set a strike date in September in a dispute with Cosla over pay, a union has said.
GMB Scotland said Aberdeen, Clackmannanshire, the Western Isles, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Orkney, Renfrewshire and South Ayrshire will be affected.
Staff in schools and early years working across catering, cleaning, pupil support, administration and janitorial services will walk out next month on September 13 and 14.
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The action comes after GMB Scotland’s members rejected the 5.5% offer from council umbrella body Cosla in April, branding it unacceptable amid surging inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.
Members of the Unite union working in education and early years services have also voted for industrial action but have not yet announced dates.
Schools could be forced to close if the strikes go ahead.
Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser for public services, said that a meeting on Friday August 25 will be the final opportunity for Cosla to avert disruptive strikes.
“The latest figures show that, despite rising wages, pay is still being outstripped by inflation,” he said.
“The pay offer to council workers does not come close to matching the surging cost of living and one that is worth less with every month that passes.
“Scotland stands on the shoulders of our local authority workers and the value of their work must be reflected in their salaries.
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“Cosla has refused to seriously engage with our members during what has been a protracted, frustrating process.
“If they had, parents and pupils would not now be facing disruption. Cosla and Scottish ministers need to engage now or risk turning a crisis into a calamity.”
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