Falkirk Council: Uncertainty over strike action by school support staff

The union – which is one of three representing council workers in Scotland – says the plans won’t be confirmed until the result of the Unison ballot is announced.

Teachers are not involved in this industrial action but those taking part could include janitors, cleaners, catering staff and classroom assistants, all vital to keeping schools open.

In February, all three trade unions saw their members reject an offer made by CoSLA, the umbrella organisation for local authorities which negotiates on behalf of councils.

The initial consultative ballot saw members reject a five per cent increase from April 2023, plus an additional increase that varied depending on an individual’s salary payable from January 2024.

The union’s members voted overwhelmingly to reject this as inflation passed the ten per cent mark.

Members of Unite the Union in ten Scottish council areas have already confirmed that strike action will be going ahead, although this won’t affect Falkirk.

Last year, the council workers’ pay dispute was not resolved until September, after weeks of targeted action across Scotland.

In Falkirk, bins went unemptied and the recycling centres closed for eight days of industrial action as workers made clear they were not prepared to accept two or three per cent.

This year, the unions will once again use targeted action across the country and there is a real possibility that support staff being on strike could lead to school closures.

Unison say they are “at an impasse with CoSLA”, as the council body has said it does not have the cash to improve the offer.

The GMB plans will not be announced until Unison reveals the results of its ballot, which closes on August 25.

A spokesperson for Falkirk Council said: “GMB have provided formal notification that they have met the threshold to take Industrial Action in specific areas of the workplace, however we have not been notified at this stage, of any intended action. National negotiations continue and we are hopeful for a resolution.”