Hundreds of schools hit by strike

More than 1,000 schools across Scotland are closed or partially shut due to a 24-hour walkout by council workers. But many are taking classes as usual.

Hayley Jarvis looks at why the impact of the strike on schools differs in each local authority.

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Dermit Smith had to stay home to look after his children due to the strike

Parents may be confused about why some schools have been affected by the strike, but others have not.

In Glasgow for example all of the city's 169 primary schools have been closed, but no schools were shut in North Lanarkshire.

While teachers are not taking part in the industrial action many support workers, such as janitors and catering staff, are members of the Unite, Unison and GMB unions who are protesting against a 2.5% pay offer from local government employers Cosla.

Some local authorities have based decisions on whether to keep schools open on how well they think they will cope without these members of staff.

The Educational Institute of Scotland, a union which represents teaching staff, said its members would not be made to do the work of a colleague who is on strike.

And it is with this in mind that Unison has accused a number of councils of jeopardising the safety of children by opening without adequate resources.

Pupil safety

Tracey Dalling, Unison's regional organiser for local government, said: "It is extremely worrying that some councils are risking our kids' safety in order to try and claim some kind of one-upmanship over their striking staff, and it is very confusing for parents.

"These frantic half-baked plans to try to open schools not only put children at risk, but mean that parents don't know whether to send children to school or not. Councils have had weeks to give a clear message to parents, where they are trying this tactic they are not only angering support staff, but alienating teachers and parents."

One head teacher, who refused to give his name or place of work, contacted BBC Scotland's news website to say he had been made to open his school.

He said: "Despite my request to my local authority to close my school on safety grounds, having no janitor or support staff, and on health grounds, down to the fact classrooms and toilets will not be cleaned and the bins not emptied, my request was declined.

"Local authorities are not willing to support school staff and as a result are putting pupil safety at risk."

But councils who have taken the decision to open their schools, such as Perth and Kinross, said health and safety concerns had been fully considered.

'More notice'

The degree of disruption also depends on the extent of union membership in each school. Some local authorities were unable to say how many of their schools would have to close until very close to the beginning of the strike because they did not know how many would walkout.

Dermit Smith, a father of three from Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, said he wished he had been given more notice about the closure of his children's primary school.

He had to take the morning off work to care for his children, and his wife, Lynn, managed to leave her job early.

He said: "This was all arranged last minute, my wife works between 10 and two on a regular basis, and I work nine to five.

"I had to have a conference call this morning at half past nine, which I expected to do from work, I had to organise that from home today. My wife is working all morning, and it meant I had to stay at home today, look after the children and then go into work in the afternoon.

"Fortunately we're in the position where we do have quite flexible employers, but we have to live with it, and I would like to see this resolved as of today."

And of course, those staff who do not receive their wages from local governments have not been taking part in the strike. PPP/PFI schools have not been affected by the strike as their staff are privately contracted.

Councillor Michael Cook, Cosla's strategic human resource management spokesperson, said striking was "not the way" to resolve the situation.

He said: "We value our workforce and we have a duty to that workforce but we also have a duty to our communities as well. As democratically elected members we are entrusted with managing resources in a prudent, sensible and sustainable manner - this we will continue to do."