Schools in Dumfries and Galloway face closure following union warning

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scotland’s largest local authority union is warning of school closures across Dumfries and Galloway in September.Unison launched an industrial action ballot for all council workers on Tuesday after reaching an “impasse” over pay with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).School staff were asked to vote in the dispute and the union will decide on whether to ballot additional groups of workers in the coming months.The union said members overwhelmingly rejected a five per cent offer in April which came with an additional increase depending on an individual’s salary payable from January 2024.Of members balloted, 87 per cent rejected the offer and 90 per cent said they were willing to take action up to and including strike action for an improved pay deal.Unison Scotland’s head of local government, Johanna Baxter, said: “COSLA’s offer falls short of Unison’s pay claim, it is also less than the offer made to the lowest paid local government staff south of the border.

And it would be a real-terms pay cut during the cost of living crisis.“Despite efforts to move negotiations along, we’re now at an impasse.

COSLA has refused to improve its pay offer, which Unison members overwhelmingly rejected.“It also says it doesn’t have the cash to offer more but is also refusing to ask the Scottish Government for additional funding.“Council and school staff are fed up.

All school staff should look out for their ballots, which will arrive in purple envelopes, vote and post back as soon as possible.”A COSLA spokesperson said: “The reality of the situation is that as employers, council leaders have made a strong offer to the workforce.“A strong offer which clearly illustrates the value councils place on their workforce, and it