Schools in Clackmannanshire are likely to be among around 2000 across the country to close later this month when 21,000 Unison members go on strike.

The union has written a letter to Scottish local authority body COSLA to inform of its intentions, and will give employers 14 days’ notice of the strikes which are expected to be announced in the coming days.

The letter states: “This strike mandate is the strongest show of strength by our members in decades – their resolve to fight for the decent pay rise they, and all their colleagues across local government, so richly deserve is clear for all to see.

"Members were due their pay uplift in April of this year – it is therefore already five months overdue, despite our claim being submitted on 26th January 2023. This is unacceptable.”

The school support staff taking strike action will include cleaners, caterers, janitors and school support assistants.  

UNISON Scotland local government committee chair Mark Ferguson commented: “This is not a highly paid workforce. Three quarters of local government workers earn less than the average Scottish wage, £33,000 per year, and the majority of them are women.

"The current pay offer falls short of the current rate of inflation and would amount to a real-terms pay cut, adding further stress to a dedicated workforce who are already suffering from the current cost of living crises."