South Ayrshire school and cleansing workers could go on strike in August if pay demands are not met.

UNISON has demanded a meeting with, and immediate action from, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Finance Secretary Kate Forbes over the local government pay dispute.

In a letter to the Scottish Government, UNISON and other unions today warned that if an agreement is not quickly met then strike action will “close schools across the country and see waste piling up on the streets.”

Last week, Scotland’s largest union served notice to 31 local authorities in the country saying it will ballot select groups of workers – including those in schools and nurseries as well as in waste recycling service - from June 10 to July 26.

If the ballots for industrial action are successful then strike action could start in August, causing disruption to the new school term.

UNISON has rejected a two per cent pay increase from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, saying this represents a real-terms pay cut.

The union’s Johanna Baxter, said this week: “People seem to have forgotten who kept our country going during the past few years.”