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Scotland could be brought to a standstill in a co-ordinated strike by teachers and council workers in the new year, the Record can reveal.

The country’s four largest trade unions are furious over a three per cent pay offer from the Scottish Government and local authority body Cosla.

School teachers, classroom assistants, caterers, road gritters and street cleaners could all walk out.

The warning comes two days after teachers unions rejected the offer.

(Image: Robert Perry)

They want a 10 per cent raise, claiming it’s the only way to make up for years of austerity. Thousands of local

government workers in other unions want 6.5 per cent. In a stern warning to the Scottish Government, leaders said the country is now on collision course.

Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, said: “In recent years, too much of the negotiation over the Scottish budget has taken place behind closed doors.

“There is growing scepticism among workers about the willingness of politicians at national and local level to ensure a budget which adequately funds services and pays workers who deliver our services day in, day out. No one works harder than these workers to deliver our services and it now falls on public service workers to raise their voices to protect them for the future.

(Image: PA)

“The equal pay strike in Glasgow has proved that council workers will no longer go unseen. Fair pay is a huge and growing issue and Cosla and the Scottish Government need to check their budget blindspots or they are on course for collision with coordinated strike action in the new year.”

The Educational Institute of Scotland, Unite, GMB and Unison met this week to discuss a joint strategy should the Scottish Government and Cosla fail to provide a “fair pay deal”.

Campaigning members plan to keep the pressure on by holding a demo outside the Scottish Parliament on budget day, December 12. Unions complain staff working in local government have seen real-terms cut in basic pay of 21 per cent since 2010.

Teachers warn their take-home pay reduced by nearly a quarter in real terms over the past decade.

(Image: Getty Images)

On Tuesday, EIS members who took part in a ballot voted by 97 per cent against the pay offer. The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association also overwhelmingly rejected the proposal.

Councillor Gail Macgregor, from Cosla, said local authorities don’t have any extra cash. She added: “Local government cannot afford any more percentage increases.”

Education Secretary John Swinney said the deal for teachers is the best in the UK.

He added: “It is disappointing teachers have rejected what I believe was a strong and fair offer.

“I am pleased there will be further talks and we will engage positively with the unions and Cosla to seek a pay deal.”

The Scottish Government said: “What is absolutely clear is that despite continued UK Government real-terms cuts to Scotland’s resource budget, we have treated local government very fairly.

“In 2018-19, councils will receive funding through the local government finance settlement of £10.7billion.

“This will provide a real terms boost in both revenue and capital funding for public services.”