Non-teaching personnel, including learning support and janitorial staff, are set to go on strike in the coming month. Non-teaching staff members across 10 council areas in Scotland are gearing

up for a strike on September 13th and 14th, as announced by GMB Scotland.

The regions affected include Aberdeen, Clackmannanshire, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Orkney, Renfrewshire, and South Ayrshire.

GMB Scotland's members had rejected a pay proposal of 5.5% back in April.

The union stated that the offer "falls significantly short" of keeping up with the rising cost of living and cautioned about potential disruptions in schools.

The strike action will involve employees in schools and early years settings covering catering, cleaning, pupil support, administration, and janitorial services.

Possible Education Staff Strike in September, Says Union Council Workers Disapprove of Pay Agreement, Citing Insufficiency GMB Scotland pointed out that Cosla, the entity representing local authorities, had declined to revise the pay offer or seek support from the Scottish government.

Previously, Cosla had highlighted that the "robust offer" raised the local government living wage by 99p, bringing it to £11.84 per hour.

During the vote in April, around 20,000 GMB members voted against the proposed deal.

Anticipated Disruptions Members of Unite in 10 Scottish councils have also voted in favor of striking over pay, although specific dates are yet to be confirmed after the summer recess.

Unison is awaiting the outcome of its members' ballot on strike action.

Keir Greenaway, Senior Organiser at GMB Scotland, remarked, "Our local authority workers are the backbone of Scotland, and their salaries must mirror the value of their contributions."

Greenaway criticized Cosla's lack of substantial engagement with union members throughout the extended and frustrating negotiation process, suggesting that the failure to do so has resulted in the looming disruptions faced by parents and students.

"Both Cosla and Scottish governmental officials need to initiate dialogue now to prevent the escalation of this issue into a full-blown crisis," Greenaway added.

Insightful Analysis by Jamie McIvor, BBC Scotland's News Correspondent The GMB union has provided councils with advance notice of potential strike dates, emphasizing that there is ample time to reach a resolution over the pay dispute.

Aware of the potency of even the prospect of strikes that could lead to school closures, the union is employing a strategic approach.

A similar council pay dispute in the previous year led to waste accumulation in cities like Edinburgh, ultimately finding a resolution after the Scottish government provided additional funding to support an improved pay proposal.

Currently, Cosla has not sought increased government funding for compensation.

Certain council leaders speculate that a more substantial pay offer might be feasible only with government financial aid.

Regardless of the financing, strikes seem imminent without a more generous pay proposal.

While First Minister Humza Yousaf takes pride in the avoidance of NHS strikes in Scotland, he might soon be confronted with the possibility of a council strike within a year.

This situation also marks the second instance in recent months when educational services have been impacted by labor-related actions, even though teachers are not directly involved. Photo by Lewis Clarke, Wikimedia commons.