Strike action could impact local schools and nurseries

Education officials in Orkney are continuing to discuss the potential impact on schools and early learning facilities if the planned schools’ support staff strike goes ahead in the new term.

Further detailed information is required before confirmation can be given as to which settings may be affected in the county.

The Council’s Corporate Director of Education, Leisure and Housing, James Wylie, said: “Before we can give absolute clarity on which settings may be impacted, we are checking all our information with individual establishments and reviewing the information coming forward from the Unite and GMB unions. As soon as we have a clear picture, we will release the list of schools and early learning settings affected if the strike action goes ahead.”

Unions have confirmed that school support staff members in ten Scottish council areas have voted to strike in a pay dispute with the council umbrella body Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA).

Those areas include Orkney, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Western Isles, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Fife, Glasgow and Inverclyde.

Areas that could be impacted in the new term include early learning services, janitorial and cleaning, school kitchens, classroom assistants and administration.