UNITE trade unionists involved in a dispute with the Church of Scotland over an imposed pay deal are planning strike action this week after talks at conciliation service Acas collapsed.

Angry church staff plan a one-hour walkout to coincide with the royal opening of the 2014 General Assembly in Edinburgh on Wednesday and a two-day strike starting on Friday in addition to an overtime ban already in place.

Unite industrial officer Gillian McKay said: “Quite simply, the Church needs to show its workers more respect — and they need to demonstrate this quickly and in a meaningful manner — but by blatantly undermining basic employment rights and abandoning crucial conciliation efforts it only demonstrates how out of touch they really are.”

Unite had been negotiating with the church over the 2014 wage claim when management suddenly imposed a flat-rate £300 for every employee, ignoring the wishes and recommendations of the workforce.