Aberdeen City schools close as strike action goes ahead

All Aberdeen City schools will be shut on Tuesday 26 September, with 35 closing in Aberdeenshire.

School support staff across 24 local authorities are walking out today after their union rejected a pay offer.

The dispute is over a revised pay offer from umbrella body Cosla for a pay increase for janitors, cleaners, and support workers, who are some of the lowest paid council employees.

Unison was the only major union not to suspend three days of action among it's non-teaching school staff after a new deal was put on the table. 

Unite and GMB have suspended strikes while they consider it.

A new offer represents a minimum wage increase of £2,006 for those on the Scottish Government's living wage and a minimum increase of £1,929 for workers who are earning above the living wage.

The living wage of £10.85 will rise to £11.89 under the new offer, equivalent to a 9.6% increase. 

But Unison rejected the offer as "an increase of only 0.5% in-year" for the majority of staff.

As a result, mass school closures across Scotland are taking place, with some students going back to learning from home. 

All schools in Aberdeen City will close on Tuesday, with a review and risk assessments to determine arrangements for the remaining two days of strikes.

A spokesperson for Aberdeen City Council said: "All schools will be closed on Tuesday 26 September with a review of the number of staff attending triggering a review of risk assessments and arrangements for Wednesday 27 September and Thursday 28 September.”  

In Aberdeenshire, it's understood 37 schools and 58 early learning and nurseries will be closed with 23 partial closures.

105 schools will remain open. 

A spokesperson for Aberdeenshire Council said: "From the information provided to us by UNISON, we have made the decision that, where possible, all of our schools will remain open. 

"However, the industrial action will affect each school in different ways. 

"This means that some schools will be able to remain open, some will have to close, and some will have partial closures.

"Each school has assessed its own situation and informed parents and carers directly explaining how the planned strike action will affect them."