Schools set for closure as staff vote for strike action

Schools and early years centres across Edinburgh could be forced to shut next month – with thousands of workers going on strike in a row about pay.

It has been confirmed that Unison members have rejected a pay increase offer of 5.5% and the workers due a pay rise in April.

(Teachers took part in a rally outside the Scottish Parliament last year.)

Unison members and a further 23 local authorities have also voted to strike.

The union’s local Government committee will meet next week to take steps to prepare the industrial action, which is likely to take place in the coming months.

Unison’s Scottish secretary, Liam Macer, said: “This is our strongest ever strike mandate in local government, which shows the level of anger felt by staff.

“The union will do everything possible to get back around the table with Cosla to resolve this dispute. School staff would prefer to be in school working with children, not on a picket line and closing dozens of schools.

“But the Scottish Government and Cosla should be in no doubt about the determination of school staff and they’ll do what it takes to get an improved pay deal for all local government workers.”