Almost all schools in Glasgow will be closed due to Unison strike action next week

Almost all schools in Glasgow will be closed due to Unison strike action next week.

Unison members taking industrial action on November 1 include administrative staff, catering, janitorial, cleaning services and school crossing guards, across Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Glasgow.

The strike is part of a “rolling action programme”, with further dates to be announced at other councils, after Unison rejected a pay offer from the Assembly of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla).

The revised offer represents a minimum increase of £2,006 for Scottish local government workers on the Living Wage and a minimum of £1,929 for those over the rate.

The £10.85 living wage will rise to £11.89 an hour – equivalent to a 9.6% rise.

A letter from the executive director of education services at Glasgow City Council, Douglas Hutchison, said all nurseries and primary schools and schools with additional learning support will close on November 1.

Secondary schools in Glasgow will only be open for S4–S6, with the exception of Ard-sgoil Ghaidhlig Ghlaschu which will be closed to all students and staffed by municipal employees.

The letter said: “The strike involves a high proportion of Education Services staff and will include support for training workers, chaperones, administrative staff, catering, custodial services, cleaning and school crossing patrols.

“It is therefore not possible to ensure a safe environment and provide meals for our young people or maintain continuity of learning. I am sorry that you will have to make alternative arrangements for your children once again.

“We will continue to work on alternative arrangements until the strike date and if there is any change based on individual risk assessments and the appropriate catering arrangements available I will contact individual schools.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “Letters have been issued to all our nurseries and schools today with information about the closures due to Unison industrial action next week.

“It is simply not possible for our schools and nurseries to remain open due to the numbers expected to attend and we apologize to our families that we have to make alternative arrangements once again.

“We have managed to keep S4 – S6 pupils in school and preparing for exams.”