Significant disruption at Orkney schools and nurseries confirmed if strike action goes ahead

The Council can confirm there will be significant school and nursery closures throughout Orkney if the planned national strike action over pay goes ahead on three days next week – 6, 7 and 8 September.

School catering staff, cleaners, caretakers, teaching assistants and early years practitioners are involved in the national industrial action.

The Education Service has reviewed in detail staff members expected to be on strike and the this would have impact on health, safety and support provisions for every nursery and school.

In addition to having reduced numbers of staff within the buildings, consideration must also be given to health and safety – for example, schools and nurseries must have fire safety procedures and first aid covered, and whether or not there can be any school meal and cleaning provision.

As a result of careful and detailed consideration for each setting, the Education Service can confirm the impact at this time to be:

The above information will also be communicated directly to parents and carers from Head Teachers.

Corporate Director of Education, Leisure and Housing, James Wylie, said: “Head Teachers and the Education Service have carefully digested all the information and informed and necessary decisions have been made on that basis.

“Whilst we completely understand the difficulties these closures place on parents – many of whom make up Orkney’s workforce – paramount to us is the safety of all when opening an establishment and if we are unable to guarantee that all health, safety and wellbeing measures are being met, then they simply cannot open.

“Given that this situation remains fluid, our advice continues to be that parents and carers of children attending establishments planned to open should plan alterative arrangements for their children on those dates as a precaution in case further closures are announced.”

Discussion regarding the continuity of learning is taking place for provision over these three days and will be shared by Head Teachers as it becomes available.

The unions – Unison and GMB – have said their members will strike on these three days after talks with CoSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities), the umbrella body for Local Government, failed to reach an agreement in relation to a national pay award for Local Government staff for 2022-23.