Nationwide school strike threat after action targeting John Swinney's constituency

Ministers have been urged to stop a school strike escalating beyond John Swinney’s constituency amid warnings industrial action there could soon be nationwide.

Unison members are out on picket lines across the local authority in a strike targeting primary schools in Perth and Kinross.

But one of the union’s branch secretaries says their members could soon be balloted on rolling out the industrial action across the whole of Scotland.

School strikes could soon be seen across Scotland. | National World

Stuart Hope says Unison currently has 17 other mandates for strike in Scotland, but adds the union is preparing for an all-member ballot on industrial action.

He said: “If that’s successful, we could be looking at it in every area of every council in Scotland. But we will need to conduct our ballot, which takes time.”

Finance Secretary Shona Robison told those on strike in Perth and Kinross yesterday that there is no more government money for a new pay deal to be offered.

She said: “I would certainly encourage dialogue to continue between Cosla and Unison.

“A solution has to be found, but that cannot be a solution based on more money this year, because there simply is no more money available this year.

“So the solution I think is really looking forward to the next year and beyond, and the potential for multi-year deals between local governments and their unions.

“But I have to be clear, the result of this industrial action on all of the disruption will not be more money, because there simply is none.”

Finance Secretary Shona Robison | Lisa Ferguson/National World

As a result of the industrial action, all primary schools, council-run early learning and childcare facilities, the area’s additional support needs school and two secondary schools will all be closed.

Pupils will be offered remote learning during the closures.

However, Perth and Kinross Council says it will review the school closures on a daily basis, saying some schools may be able to open later in the week.

In a statement, the council said: “Due to the October holidays, it has not been possible to complete risk assessments for our primaries and early learning and childcare settings. Love politics? Then sign up for The Steamie daily newsletter

“This means we cannot guarantee there will be enough staff to ensure pupil safety and so have taken the decisions to close these settings.

“The situation will be reviewed daily during the two weeks of industrial action planned by Unison.

“It is possible a small number of primary schools will be able to open later in the week.

“However, the situation is likely to remain fluid and may change for individual schools on a day-to-day basis.”

Mr Swinney had previously branded the strike action “absolutely unacceptable”.

Mr Hope said it is “disappointing” to hear Ms Robison’s comments, adding the decision to strike was “difficult”, but the union was “forced into a corner”.

He said: “They seem to keep ignoring that local government pay has been declining year-on-year in real terms and is 25 per cent behind inflation.

“Enough is enough - our members are speaking in force to say they feel undervalued and underpaid, and they are not listening to the people.

“They’ve had enough and deserve better pay and deserve to be treated better by the Scottish Government.”

Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for education and skills Miles Briggs MSP said: “The last thing our pupils need is to be kept from the classroom where they are best placed to learn.

“The SNP’s financial mismanagement has left them totally unprepared for this pay dispute and the knock-on effects are now being felt by parents, carers and students.

“Instead of trying to pass the buck onto COSLA, the SNP should take responsibility for the position they’ve placed local councils in and urgently offer solutions to this situation before it escalates any further."