SCOTLAND’S biggest trade union has claimed schools across Glasgow are getting dirtier.

Unison have slammed the council over cuts to cleaning budgets, which they say has affected 350 schools and nurseries.

Glasgow City Council have admitted that some cleaning vacancies are taking longer than expected to fill.

But the union, who claimed its members are stressed-out with increased workloads, was backed by Labour group leader Frank McAveety, who called for better funding of local authorities.

Ingrid Bain, Unison steward, said: “Our schools are becoming dirtier. This is not the fault of school cleaners. We need more staff.

“Cordia and Glasgow City Council have reduced the number of staff by hundreds in recent years by not keeping on temporary workers who were covering permanent vacancies.

“All part of the cuts to council services which Unison has consistently fought against.

“Workers are increasingly stressed out and overworked.”

The union also accused the council of burying its head in the sand and called on politicians to spend a day working as a cleaner to see if they can handle the pressure.

Frank McAveety hit out at what he described as “savage cuts”, which he blamed on Westminster and Holyrood.

He added: “Hundreds of millions of pounds have been taken from our budgets, and these cuts have real consequences.

“Local Government and public-sector workers - across the board - are being asked to do more and more with less and less.

“The added stresses that increasing workloads bring is one of the very real consequences that cuts have.

“It’s time that local government was funded properly - or that the Scottish Government gives us the powers to raise the funds we need in a fair and sustainable way.”

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: “Our school cleaning staff carry out a valuable service in our schools and nurseries and take pride in being part of the team that keeps the school operating.

“Some vacant positions have taken a little longer than normal to fill but in those schools we will utilise all resources that are available.”