EDINBURGH is bracing itself for more council strike action, with a one-day walkout later this month set to be followed by a separate dispute involving social workers.
The next round of action in the council-wide pay dispute was announced last night, and is likely to once again cripple schools, community centres, council offices and bin collections.
The walkout is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24, with pla
ns in place for further action from specific workforces the following week, if no deal is reached.
At the same time, public sector union Unison has suspended talks with council chiefs in Edinburgh over a controversial social work department review, which could lead to the loss of 12 managerial positions.
Union leaders said they are taking legal advice on whether to launch a collective grievance process, and have not ruled out separate strike action.
Education leader Marilyne MacLaren described the announcement as "disappointing" and "surprising", while finance chief Gordon Mackenzie called for a "realistic" settlement in the pay dispute.
Around 150,000 members of Unison, Unite, and the GMB across Scotland took part in a walkout last month in protest at a below-inflation offer of 2.5 per cent every year for three years.
The umbrella body for Scottish councils, Cosla, has since come back with a 2.5 per cent one-year offer, but Dougie Black, Unison's regional officer for Scotland, said: "(Yesterday's decision] sends a very clear message to the employers – your failure to improve your offer despite previous commitments given in public to do so will not be tolerated by our members.
"Taking further industrial action is regrettable, but now unavoidable. We have no alternative given the employers' behaviour over this."
Unite and GMB are expected to confirm their participation in the one-day strike over the weekend.
Separately, Unison members who manage front-line child protection services in Edinburgh have agreed to mount action against what they describe as "unsafe" social care cuts.
Tom Connolly, local service conditions officer, said: "Management will say they have consulted staff, but I challenge them to identify how the views of people with a collective experience of over 400 years in social work have been really taken into account."
Cllr MacLaren said: "Discussions with unions over recent months have been amicable and constructive, so I'm disappointed at this surprise reaction at this stage.
"Child protection services are a top priority for the council."
The full article contains 411 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
