Crunch talks will take place today between Aberdeen City Council and union chiefs as the authority try to avoid industrial action in a row over cannabis lollipops at schools.
Unite have warned they could consider a ballot of their members in the city’s schools over claims that dinner ladies transported the drug-filled sweets between Abbotswell Primary and Hazlehead Academy.
But Unite have said that the council did not follow proper procedure and report their suspicions to police or inform head teachers – and the threat of disciplinary action is a “witch hunt”.
The four staff members involved deny that the sweets contained any drugs and were brought back from Amsterdam as a prank.
The incident allegedly happened in November last year but it’s understood a disciplinary process has only just begun
Regional representative Tommy Campbell has previously called the action a “misuse of the disciplinary investigation process” and warned of a ballot if an apology isn’t issued.
The city council operates a tough anti-drug policy among staff with cautionary suspensions usually handed out over suspicions of drug use.
A council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that there is a meeting as part of the open dialogue we have with the union.”