Several schools in the constituency of First Minister John Swinney are set to close this week due to an ongoing strike. The trade union Unison has initiated the strike action targeting Mr Swinney’s seat over the next two weeks after its members working in non-teaching roles in schools rejected a pay offer from the local authority body, Cosla.
The proposed deal would have seen a pay increase of 67p per hour or 3.6%, whichever was higher, and had been accepted by the two other main unions. Despite this, council leaders decided to impose the increase on staff. As a result of the strike action, Perth and Kinross Council announced that all primary schools, nurseries, intensive support settings, and two secondary schools will be closed on Monday.
Due to the October holidays, the council was unable to conduct risk assessments of primary schools and nurseries, leading to the delayed opening of facilities. While schools may open later this week, the council warned that the situation is likely to remain “fluid” throughout the strike, with possible changes for individual schools on a daily basis.
In response to the strike action, the First Minister has condemned the targeting of his constituency as “unacceptable,” asserting that there is no additional funding available for the Scottish Government to provide local authorities with a better deal. On the other hand, Colette Hunter, Unison’s local government committee chairwoman in Scotland, accused Mr Swinney of making “inflammatory accusations against hard-working council staff.”
Hunter argued that as First Minister, Swinney has the power to resolve the dispute and prevent school closures. She highlighted disparities in pay rises, citing increases for teachers, NHS staff, MSPs, and some councillors, while council staff feel left behind. Hunter emphasised the need for a solution and justified the pressure on the Scottish Government to address the issue.
The situation is likely to evolve as the strike progresses, with implications for the education sector in Swinney’s constituency. stakeholders on all sides continue to navigate the complexities of the ongoing dispute, which has resulted in the disruption of educational services and raised questions about equitable pay for council workers.