19/8/2008North Ayrshire Council: Industrial Action Wednesday 20th August
Please take note of how the planned 24 hour industrial action by local staff in North Ayrshire on Wednesday August 20 will affect us:
Murray Macfarlane, assistant chief executive: Personnel of North Ayrshire Council, said:
"The Council will maintain services as normally as possible during the proposed one-day strike on Wednesday but there will inevitably be disruption.
"We have received a list of exemptions from the unions and are working with them to ensure continuity of services to vulnerable people
"The key areas affected by the dispute are listed below.
"It is highly disappointing that the unions are intent on pursuing this course of action when the more sensible course is to return to the negotiating table. With only 21% of the 145,000 trade union members employed in Scottish local government voting for strike action, the trade unions simply do not have a mandate from the majority of their members.
"The employer's position is clear. Negotiations on this dispute are conducted at national level through the Employers' Organisation for Scottish Local Government. It has tabled an offer of 7.69% spread over three years."
Key services affected are:
Schools: All primaries open; Arran High, Greenwood and Largs Academies open for all pupils - other academies open for 4th, 5th and 6th year pupils only. Special schools open. Parents of nursery children should contact their nursery. There will be no school meals.
Refuse: Put out bins as normal. Those not collected on Wednesday will be dealt with on Thursday or Friday.
Local offices: Arran and Saltcoats local offices closed.
Halls and Community Centres: All closed.
What is the strike about?
The trades unions have been negotiating a national pay deal for single status council employees. Single status refers to the type of contract that most council workers are on. The exceptions are senior managers, teachers and trades people.
COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities), on behalf of all Scottish councils, has offered a pay rise of 2.5% in each of the next three years. This is COSLA's final offer to the unions because it is as much as councils can afford.
UNISON, Unite and GMB have rejected this offer and, following a ballot of their members, have called this industrial action.
Murray Macfarlane, assistant chief executive: Personnel of North Ayrshire Council, said:
"The Council will maintain services as normally as possible during the proposed one-day strike on Wednesday but there will inevitably be disruption.
"We have received a list of exemptions from the unions and are working with them to ensure continuity of services to vulnerable people
"The key areas affected by the dispute are listed below.
"It is highly disappointing that the unions are intent on pursuing this course of action when the more sensible course is to return to the negotiating table. With only 21% of the 145,000 trade union members employed in Scottish local government voting for strike action, the trade unions simply do not have a mandate from the majority of their members.
"The employer's position is clear. Negotiations on this dispute are conducted at national level through the Employers' Organisation for Scottish Local Government. It has tabled an offer of 7.69% spread over three years."
Key services affected are:
Schools: All primaries open; Arran High, Greenwood and Largs Academies open for all pupils - other academies open for 4th, 5th and 6th year pupils only. Special schools open. Parents of nursery children should contact their nursery. There will be no school meals.
Refuse: Put out bins as normal. Those not collected on Wednesday will be dealt with on Thursday or Friday.
Local offices: Arran and Saltcoats local offices closed.
Halls and Community Centres: All closed.
What is the strike about?
The trades unions have been negotiating a national pay deal for single status council employees. Single status refers to the type of contract that most council workers are on. The exceptions are senior managers, teachers and trades people.
COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities), on behalf of all Scottish councils, has offered a pay rise of 2.5% in each of the next three years. This is COSLA's final offer to the unions because it is as much as councils can afford.
UNISON, Unite and GMB have rejected this offer and, following a ballot of their members, have called this industrial action.