ALAN MacDERMID and DAVID ROSS

The possibility of strike action by local authority workers in Scotland moved nearer yesterday after colleagues in the rest of the UK voted in favour of a walkout.

Scottish council workers will vote next month on a recommendation by their unions to reject an offer by the employers, Cosla, of a 2.5% pay rise every year over three years.

Members of Unison in England, Wales and Northern Ireland voted by a 55% margin to take industrial action after rejecting a 2.45% pay offer. The union's negotiators will decide today what action to recommend to the national strike committee this week.

In Scotland, members of Unison have claimed 5% or £1000, whichever is the greater, as well as improvements to annual leave. One sticking point for the unions is the employer's refusal of a re-opener clause in the event of a big increase in inflation.

Stephanie Herd, chairwoman of Unison's Scottish negotiators, said: "With inflation running at 3%-4%, and many items such as fuel and food surging in price by 15% to 40% it is no wonder that members who deliver our vital services reject being locked into a below-inflation deal for the next three years.

"We hope our employers will see that to deliver the improved services we all want, we need staff who are properly paid and qualified."

Joe Di Paola, head of the employers at Cosla, said: "There has to be a degree of realism from the unions in their claim. Councils are operating within limited resources and are acutely aware that any extra money for pay would have to come out of services."

Dougie Black, Unison Scotland regional organiser, accused Cosla of cancelling a negotiating meeting scheduled for tomorrow and will lobby the Cosla offices instead.

"We have decided that our negotiators and a representative number of our low- paid members will keep the appointment nevertheless to make the point to Cosla that their offer is unacceptable."

It came as nine airports in the Highlands and islands were closed to scheduled flights due to a 24-hour strike by around 100 firefighters. Another day's action by members of the Unite union has already been earmarked for next Friday.

Airport firefighters received a 2% increase backdated to last October, which Unite argues is inadequate. However, the publicly owned Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd says it cannot offer more because of government policy on wage restraint which limited the offer to 2%.

Around 2000 passengers were affected yesterday as 100 flights had to be cancelled to and from airports at Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick.

Also looming is possible conflict between Unison and the Scottish Government's national non-departmental bodies, which are bound by the government's 2% limit. A dispute involving Sepa, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, has been the subject of discussion with the conciliatory service Acas.

Meanwhile, staff at 19 main railway stations, including Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley, are going on a one-day strike on Thursday in a dispute over redundancies.