COSLA bosses to discuss last ditch pay offer in bid to avoid Scottish school strikes

COSLA bosses are due to meet on Thursday morning to agree a last-minute pay offer in a bid to stop school strike action, STV News understands.

It is understood a pay deal backdated to April will be put to unions ahead of planned strike action next week.

Janitors, cleaners, caterers, classroom assistants and administrative staff are due to walk out in a series of strikes beginning on September 26 in a dispute over pay.

On Wednesday, Unite, Unison and GMB granted COSLA a grace period to improve the £1,929 increase offered last month before deciding on whether walkouts will take place next week.

COSLA now has until 5pm on Thursday to make a new offer to Unite and avoid the action, while Unison has extended the deadline until midday.

Councils affected include Clackmannanshire, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Fife, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and Orkney.

MSPs were previously told unions had an “unprecedented” mandate for strike action, with over 21,000 members set to walk out.

Unions said the pay offer from COSLA would lead to a “measly” increase of 38p per week for the lowest paid.

The local government body has said the offer would mean the lowest-paid workers would see a 21% increase in their pay over a two-year period.

It said the pay offer currently on the table will cost councils just under half a billion pounds and that council leaders had gone to the “absolute limits of what local government can afford”.

COSLA has been contacted for comment.