The SNP government has no money to resolve school strikes targeting First Minister John Swinney’s Perth backyard, finance chief Shona Robison has said.
Trade union Unison called the action after rejecting a pay deal for council staff from local authority body Cosla.
It would have seen wages rise by 67p an hour or 3.6%, whichever was higher.
But while GMB and Unite backed the deal, Unison turned it down after other groups of public sector workers were offered a more generous deal.
The walkout started on Monday with most primary schools expected to close for two weeks as a result.
‘There is no more money’
Unison hopes targeting the first minister’s constituency will “bring home” the importance of finding a fair pay settlement.
But Finance Secretary Shona Robison warned that while a solution to the industrial action must be found there will be no extra for pay rises this year.
She said: “A solution has to be found, but that cannot be a solution based on more money this year, because there simply is no more money available this year.
“So the solution, I think, is really looking forward to the next year and beyond, and the potential for multi-year deals between local government and their unions.
“But I have to be clear, the result of this industrial action and all of the disruption will not be more money, because there simply is none.”
Ms Robison said she had already had to make “difficult decisions” to fund the offer on the table.
As well as all primary schools and nurseries, two secondary schools – St John’s Academy the Community School of Auchterarder – will also close.
The council has said that while some schools may be able to open once risk assessments are carried out, the situation may change for each on a day-to-day basis.
No deal could prompt strikes in every Scottish council
Stuart Hope, Unison branch secretary in Perth and Kinross, said it was a “very difficult decision” to close the schools but that members feel they have had enough.
He told BBC Radio Scotland: “Our members are kind of speaking in force these next couple of weeks to say that they feel undervalued and they feel underpaid.”
“They deserve better deals. They deserve better pay and they deserve to be more valued by the Scottish Government,” he added.
Mr Hope also warned strike action could spread to every council in Scotland if a resolution is not reached.
“We have 17 other mandates in place across Scotland, then also preparation under way for an all-member ballot,” he said.
“So that would be every council worker, local government council worker and Unison member across Scotland balloted for strike action.
“If that’s a successful ballot, then we could be looking at strike action and industrial action in every area of every council in Scotland.”
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