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| Unison to suspend school and waste strikes after fresh pay offer | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Refuse workers have already been on strike in many parts of Scotland | Refuse workers have already been on strike in many parts of Scotland |
| Unison has called off strikes next week after a new offer was made to Scottish council workers in a dispute over pay. | |
| BBC Scotland understands the new offer will mean a bigger pay rise for most staff instead of special cost of living payments this year and next. | BBC Scotland understands the new offer will mean a bigger pay rise for most staff instead of special cost of living payments this year and next. |
| GMB and Unite are discussing the details of the offer put forward by Cosla, the local government umbrella organisation. | |
| The unions had earlier said they were hopeful a deal could be agreed. | The unions had earlier said they were hopeful a deal could be agreed. |
| Council body Cosla said it hoped the new pay offer, which was made after an 11-hour meeting on Thursday hosted by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, would mean next week's strikes would be suspended. | Council body Cosla said it hoped the new pay offer, which was made after an 11-hour meeting on Thursday hosted by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, would mean next week's strikes would be suspended. |
| Unison - which represents thousands of non-teaching staff in schools and early years centres as well as refuse workers - has called off industrial action while it consults members on the new pay offer. | |
| Which schools are closed and when during strikes? | |
| When are the next bin strikes planned? | |
| Government 'cannot offer' more money to end strikes | |
| Non-teaching school staff are due to strike for three days next week, which would close hundreds of schools and early years centres in 11 local authority areas. | Non-teaching school staff are due to strike for three days next week, which would close hundreds of schools and early years centres in 11 local authority areas. |
| Refuse workers have already held strikes in many parts of Scotland, with a week of further action scheduled to start next week. | Refuse workers have already held strikes in many parts of Scotland, with a week of further action scheduled to start next week. |
| Councillor Katie Hagmann, Cosla's human resources spokeswoman, said the revised offer showed that councils had "listened to the concerns of our workforce and have responded positively". | Councillor Katie Hagmann, Cosla's human resources spokeswoman, said the revised offer showed that councils had "listened to the concerns of our workforce and have responded positively". |
| She added: "Council leaders have said consistently throughout these negotiations that we very much value and are grateful to the local government workforce." | She added: "Council leaders have said consistently throughout these negotiations that we very much value and are grateful to the local government workforce." |
| Nicola Sturgeon intervened in the pay dispute between unions and Cosla | |
| Following the meeting at St Andrews House with the first minister on Thursday, the Scottish government encouraged unions and councils to "continue to seek a fair and sustainable settlement". | |
| Unite, the GMB and Unison had rejected an increased pay offer earlier this week. | |
| Cosla said at the time it was disappointed that unions had turned down a deal that was at the "absolute extremes" of affordability, while Ms Sturgeon warned there was no "bottomless pit" of money to pay for an improved offer. | |
| The bin strikes began in Edinburgh on 18 August after unions rejected an initial pay offer equivalent to a 3.5% increase. | |
| The action then escalated last week when workers at a further 20 local authorities walked out despite a revised 5% offer. | |
| This walkout ended on Thursday, with a second wave of strikes due to begin. | |
| The Scottish government has given an additional £140m to councils to help fund a pay deal for council staff. | |
| It has also offered a further £200m over two years to provide the cost-of-living payments to workers earning below £39,000. | |
| Deputy First Minister John Swinney said at that time there was no more money for further pay increases as government finances were "finite". | |
| Teachers consider strike | |
| Meanwhile, Scotland's largest teaching union is now balloting its members in a separate dispute over pay. | |
| The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is recommending that its members reject the current 5% pay offer from local authorities and vote in favour of potential strike action. | |
| It said that the 10% pay claim submitted by teaching unions was "extremely measured, thoroughly evidence-based and unequivocally deserved". | |
| The NASUWT teachers' union has said it will reject Cosla's pay offer following a snapshot survey if its members. |