Union fires warning that strike action could hit as schools return from holidays in August

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Union chiefs have warned school and cleansing workers in Renfrewshire could go on strike in a matter of months if pay demands are not met.Unite has served notice to all 32 local authorities in Scotland, saying that it will ballot its members - which would range from classroom assistants and cleaners to refuse and recycling workers - from June 10 until July 26.If the ballot for industrial action is successful then strikes could begin in August, potentially causing disruption at the beginning of a new school term.Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here.Unite, along with other local government trade unions, said it has rejected outright a two per cent pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities’ (COSLA).The union was angered by the officer amid the soaring coast of living crisis, with inflation rising over 11 per cent.Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will now ballot thousands of our members across every one of Scotland’s thirty-two local authorities.“The last offer on the table from the employer was a pathetic two per cent.“When the broader cost of living has now hit 11.1 per cent, this is a huge pay cut and simply not acceptable when workers face punishing living costs.“Our members are not putting up with this and they will have their union’s full support in the fight for better jobs, pay and conditions in local government.”It has been estimated that more than half of Scotland’s 250,000 local authority workers are earning less than £25,000 a year for a 37-hour week.Unite earlier this month called on new council leaders to take immediate action on pay improvement or risk strikes.Wendy Dunsmore, Unite industrial officer, added: “Unite has