Hundreds of schools and nurseries across Scotland might have to shut down at the start of the new term if industrial action over staff pay goes ahead.

Council employees who work in education settings and refuse centres voted for strike after rejecting a 2% pay offer.

Unions said the walk-outs could happen after pupils return from the summer break in August.

The Scottish government said it was urging all parties to find a resolution to avoid industrial action.

A strike ballot of about 25,000 council workers from the Unison, Unite and GMB unions were said to be the largest in more than a decade.

Unison branches in nine local authorities exceeded the required 50% turnout threshold required by the Trade Union Act.

They were: Glasgow, North and South Lanarkshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Stirling, Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire and Orkney.

Unite confirmed that its local government membership in 26 councils voted for industrial action.

Workers in waste and recycling were also part of the ballot and could leave rubbish “piling up in the streets” if workers do not get a better offer, unions warned.

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