School closures underway as council strikes hit city

A total of 25 primary schools, three nurseries and six special schools in Edinburgh are closed during the 24-hour strike, with a further 16 secondary schools and 12 primaries and nurseries open only to certain year groups.

Industrial action on August 20 closed schools across Edinburgh on the first day of the new term and crippled scores of vital services across the city.

Union leaders today called for further local government strike action after pay talks left them "extremely disappointed".

Dougie Black, Unison Scotland regional officer, and secretary to the joint trade union negotiating team, said: "The action will send a very clear message to the employers – 'your failure to improve your offer after making public commitments to do so has angered your staff'.

Taking further industrial action is regrettable, but we have no alternative given the employers' behaviour over this."

The latest pay offer of 2.5 per cent was rejected by Unison, Unite and the GMB. Picket lines have been set up at council buildings across the city, with striking workers congregating outside Waverley Court and City Chambers from as early as 7am.

A protest march will see union members make their way from Edinburgh City Chambers to Princes Street Gardens, with several city centre streets closed off.

A rally was set to take place at the Ross Bandstand at 1.45pm, with Unison's deputy general secretary Keith Sonnett and nursery nurse Angela Nicoll, and members of the GMB and Unite unions speaking.

The pay negotiations, and industrial action, relates to 17,500 Edinburgh City Council staff in a wide range of council jobs.

Today's nationwide action will affect council services across Scotland. including disrupting schools, nurseries and community education, social work services, cleansing and environmental health, housing, planning, roads and transport, registry services, parks, leisure and recreation, libraries and museums, and halls and theatres.

Edinburgh City Council's executive member for finance and resources, Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, pledged that the council would do its best to maintain services.

He said: "There will be some disruption but we are putting contingency arrangements in place to ensure that we preserve life and limb services for the people of Edinburgh."

"We will continue discussions with the union in order to safeguard the interests of the most vulnerable people in our society."

He said that, while fully respecting union members' right to protest, the strike action was "disappointing".

He added: "Everyone is aware of the difficult economic situation generally, with rising prices and the credit crunch meaning people are losing their jobs elsewhere but we have to hope that there is a realistic and fair outcome from negotiations between Cosla and the unions."

In Midlothian, only two secondary schools and eight primary schools opened, with all nurseries in the area closed for the day, while no school lunches will be served and Midlothian Council said it "cannot be guaranteed" that lollipop men and women will work as usual. parents were contacted by their children's schools about arrangements in West Lothian. , with some schools expected to close Some council buildings may be closed, with social work, health and social care, and housing running only emergency services.

Prestonpans Primary School closed but most other schools in East Lothian remained unaffected by the action.

Bin collections across the Lothians were also affected.

The following schools will be closed to all pupils:

Calderglen Nursery School

Grassmarket Nursery School

High School Yards Nursery School

Carrick Knowe Primary School

Corstorphine Primary School

Craigentinny Primary School

Craiglockhart Primary School

Cramond Primary School

Duddingston Primary School

East Craigs Primary School

Ferryhill Primary School

Fox Covert ND

Fox Covert RC

Gilmerton Primary School

Kirkliston Primary School

Longstone Primary School

Niddrie Mill Primary School

Parson's Green Primary School

Pentland Primary School

Preston Street Primary School

Queensferry Primary School

Roseburn Primary School

Royal Mile Primary School

St Cuthbert's RC

St Francis' RC

St John's RC

St Margaret's RC

Towerbank Primary School

Braidburn Special School

Gorgie Mills Special School

Kaimes Special School

Pilrig Park Special School

Rowanfield Special School

Wellington Special School

The following schools will only be partially open:

Brunstane Primary School - nursery class closed

Buckstone Primary School - nursery closed

Currie Primary School - closed for P1, P2 and P3

Dalmeny Primary School - nursery closed

Dalry Primary School - nursery closed

Echline Primary School - nursery closed

Flora Stevenson Primary School - nursery closed but school open

Leith Primary School - nursery closed

Liberton Primary School - nursery closed

Lorne Primary School - nursery closed

St Ninian's RC School - school closed but nursery class open

The Royal High Primary School - nursery class closed

Balerno Community Secondary School - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Boroughmuir Secondary School - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Broughton Secondary School - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Castlebrae Community School - closed to S2 only

Craigmount Secondary School - closed to S3 only

Currie Community School - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Drummond Community School - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Gracemount Secondary School - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Holy Rood RC - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Leith Academy Community School - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Liberton Secondary School - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Portobello Secondary School - closed to S1, S2 and S3

St Augustine's RC - closed to S1, S2 and S3

St Thomas of Aquin's RC Closed to S1, S2 and S3

Tynecastle High Secondary School - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Wester Hailes Education Centre - closed to S1, S2 and S3

Parents of pupils at St Crispin's Special School will be informed directly if their child is to attend.

The following community centres will be closed:

Burdiehouse/Southhouse Community Centre

Carrickvale Community Centre

Clovenstone Community Centre

Craigentinny Community Centre

Gracemount Youth Centre

Inch Community Centre

Nelson Hall Community Centre

Pentland Centre

Platform

Riddle's Court Community Centre

Sighthill Community Centre

South Bridge CE Base

The following community centres will open for reduced hours:

Gilmerton Community Centre - open 8-4, closed 4pm onwards

Goodtrees Centre - closed 9.30-1.30, open 1.30pm onwards

The following Children and Families Centres will be closed:

Craigmillar Child and Family Care Centre

Greendykes Child and Family Care Centre

Hailesland Child and Family Care Centre

Viewforth Child and Family Care Centre

Sighthill Child and Family Centre