Unison has written to Scottish council leaders urging negotiations over the current pay dispute but warned that further strikes could follow next month if the matter is not resolved.
The news followed a second one-day strike on Wednesday (24 September) which Unison and fellow unions GMB and Unite estimated involved 150,000 members.
The unions, who lodged a pay claim for 5%, are fighting to persuade employers' body Cosla to increase its 2.5% offer for 2008-9.
Unison's Scottish secretary, Matt Smith, said: "We have always known that the best way to resolve this matter is through a negotiated settlement. Both parties need to be prepared to negotiate and this continues to be our position.”
Selective strikes
In its letter to Cosla and the leaders of Scotland's local authorities, Unison warned that further selective strike action could follow from 6 October if required.
Following this week's strike, Cosla's strategic human resource management spokesperson, Michael Cook, said he was "disappointed" by the action and reiterated that councils could not afford the unions' demands.
He added: "We are entrusted with managing resources in a prudent, sensible and sustainable manner. If we were to accede to the unions' demands we would be doing none of these things and that would be to the detriment of both our workforce and our communities."
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