School strike chaos as senior trade unionist urges Unison to suspend walk out
dailyrecord.co.ukA senior trade unionist has pleaded with Unison to suspend a planned strike this week which will see schools close.GMB organiser Chris Mitchell said Unison’s “strange” decision to push ahead would see low paid workers losing money to help middle income earners.Schools across Scotland will close for three days after Unison rejected an improved pay offer from council chiefs at COSLA.The standoff has divided the labour movement as two other trade unions suspended their strike action and agreed to ballot their members.Unison represent staff in the middle tiers as well as lower paid workers.
A branch of Unite last week blasted Unison by claiming their actions are “bizarre”.Now Mitchell, GMB Glasgow convener, said in a video: “For some strange reason, Unison are wanting to continue it.
What it looks to me is you’re asking low paid workers to come out on strike against their colleagues in GMB and Unite, putting people at a predicament, not crossing picket lines.“And to be honest, low paid workers are being asked to subsidise the middle earners to get them more money.”He added: “I hope that we can come together again, because we need to be a united front here.
We can't have a divide and conquer within the trade union movement. Look at what we have achieved and done over the last two years.
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