Money may be available to help get through the cost of living crisis
People are being encouraged to check they are not missing out on money and to find out if they could be eligible for any of the 12 benefits administered by Social Security Scotland. Seven of these are only available in Scotland.
The benefits which have been introduced over the past four years are available to people on low incomes responsible for children under 16, for people who need help paying for a funeral, disabled people, carers, young people entering the workplace and to help heat their homes.
Four of these payments are made automatically to people who get other qualifying benefits. To make sure people are maximising their income they should check what DWP benefits they could be eligible for too.
Payments made automatically include Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Child Winter Heating Payment as well as Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment and Best Start Grant School Age Payment for those in receipt of Scottish Child Payment.
In addition, the new Winter Heating Payment will be paid automatically to an expected 400,000 people across Scotland when it is introduced in February.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “January is traditionally a month where people find it harder financially than the rest of the year. This pressure can be more acute for people on low incomes or who face additional costs due to a disability or ill-health condition. The cost of living crisis also means that people are facing difficult financial decisions day in and day out.
“We are committed to making sure that people are getting all of the money that they are entitled to. That is why we are making payments automatically where we can. Where people need to apply, we are working hard to promote these payments and make the process of accessing them as straightforward as possible.
“Social Security Scotland works with partners and through advertising to promote our benefits and our next campaign will start this month to encourage parents and carers to apply for Scottish Child Payment.
“People can apply for all our benefits online, by phone, through the post or in person – whatever works best for them. We’ve designed the way we promote and deliver these benefits with the people who they are for to make sure that what we do works for them.
“We want people to talk with others they know about the support that is available. These payments are a shared investment in building a fairer society and no one should think twice about accessing what they are entitled to. Please look into what is available and apply if you think you could be eligible.”
Eligible families, and carers can find out more and apply for social security payments at scot/benefits or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222
The Scottish Government’s Cost Of Living website provides information and support for people who need urgent help with money, food or fuel scot/costoflivingsupport
Survey shows public backing for senior tech managers to be held legally responsible for safety and liable if products cause serious harm to children
MPs, bereaved parents, and 2,192 campaigners in Scotland back calls to strengthen Online Safety Bill’s response to protecting children on social media
NSPCC estimates over 21,000 online child sexual offences recorded by police since legislation was delayed last summer
Four out of five (84%) adults in Scotland want senior tech managers to be appointed and held legally responsible for stopping children being harmed by social media, according to new polling of UK adults, of which 200 live in Scotland.
The survey by YouGov also found that 72% of those with an opinion in Scotland would want senior managers prosecuted for failures that resulted in serious harm to children.
The NSPCC, who commissioned the research, said the findings show overwhelming public support for tougher enforcement measures in the UK Government’s Online Safety Bill.
Currently, the legislation would only hold tech bosses responsible for failing to give information to the regulator Ofcom, and not for corporate decisions that result in preventable harm or sexual abuse.
The move is being supported by Ruth Moss, whose 13-year-old daughter Sophie died by suicide after viewing suicidal and self-harm posts and being groomed on social media.
The Edinburgh nurse has been campaigning with the NSPCC for several years for robust new legislation that would force tech bosses to make their sites safe for children.
Ruth Mosssaid: “As far as I’m concerned, where companies wilfully break the law and put the lives of children like my daughter at risk, of course senior managers should be criminally accountable. The consequences of non- compliance are life changing for children like Sophie.
“Criminal liability drives the right behaviours in those with the most responsibility. It works in other industries and there is no reason in my mind as to why big tech executives should be treated any differently.”
The Online Safety Bill has been subject to delays amid intense scrutiny in recent months as the UK Government amended elements relating to adult safety.
The Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan has repeatedly said protections for children would be strengthened and campaigners argue holding tech bosses liable for the safety of young users would send a signal of intent to Big Tech.
2,192 people in Scotland signed an open letter to Ms Donelan calling for the legislation to properly hold senior managers to account for the safety of sites children use.
Rachel Talbot, 15, from Angus in Scotland, who handed the letter into the Culture Secretary with other members of the NSPCC’s Young People’s Board for Change, said: “Far too much pressure is put on young people from such a young age to keep themselves safe online.
“Too many children are exposed to content promoting self-harm and eating disorders. It’s become a norm in our everyday lives.
“We need a Bill that is going to hold big tech firms accountable. Without it, young people are on their own. We’ve been on our own for so long online – and it’s not working.”
Some Conservative MPs are also calling on the Government to amend the Bill to hold senior managers liable for children’s safety when it returns to UK Parliament this month (January 16th).
Senior MPs including former Home Secretary Priti Patel, Sir William Cash and Miriam Cates are backing the amendment which would mean tech bosses would finally be held to account if their platforms contributed to the serious harm, abuse, or death of a child.
Campaigners say the UK risks being out of step as Irish laws passed last month will hold senior tech bosses liable for online safety changes.
But they argued that making the suggested changes would cement the UK as a global authority for children’s safety online.
Miriam Cates MP said: “It’s clear to most people that the big global tech companies are not going to wake up one day and suddenly decide to start protect children from harmful online content.
“We have seen repeated failures of Big tech to protect children from the horrors of sexual exploitation, pornography and content that draws them into self-harm and suicide, and sadly the Online Safety Bill as it stands will not stop this.
“The only way to secure the change we desperately need is to make senior directors personally responsible for failures to protect children and that’s why I urge all MPs to support this amendment to include senior manager liability in the Online Safety Bill.”
The amendment has cross-party support including from the Labour frontbench.
Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell MP said: “Labour has long called for the online safety bill to be strengthened especially when it comes to the liability – including criminal liability – of social media bosses. Without these sanctions there’s a real risk that a UK regulator will be toothless.
“Yet instead of strengthening the laws, the Government has recently gutted and watered down the bill, letting social media companies off the hook and allowing harms, abuse and hate to continue.
“I welcome the campaigning work of the NSPCC to toughen this Bill.”
The NSPCC said senior managers must also be liable for preventing child sexual abuse that is taking place at a record scale online.
The charity estimates that 600 online child sexual abuse crimes will have been recorded by Police Scotland in the time the legislation was delayed in July until it is likely to pass through Parliament on January 16th.
Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said:“2022 was the year the Online Safety Bill faced delay after delay while children faced sexual abuse on an industrial scale and tech bosses sat on their hands as their algorithms continued to bombard young users with hugely dangerous material.
“This year must be the year legislation delivers the systemic change for children online that our polling shows families up and down the UK want.
“The Government can do this by delivering bold, world-leading regulation that ensures the buck stops with senior management for the safety of our children.”
The European Movement in Scotland (EMiS), the country’s leading pro-EU body, is stepping up its campaign to rejoin the European Union in 2023 with new hires and a fresh membership drive.
EU+me, another pro-European body, is joining forces with EMiS this month to give what its outgoing chair, Prof Stephen Gethins, calls “focus, scale and momentum” to the growing campaign for Scotland to rejoin the EU – in its own right or as part of the UK.
At the same time, EMiS has appointed David McDonald (SNP), a former depute leader and convener for culture, vibrancy and international relations at Glasgow City Council, to be its new membership and campaigns co-ordinator.
These moves come as David Clarke, a financial consultant and ex-journalist who has worked to develop Scotland’s financial services sector and build relations with his native Ireland, takes over from Mark Lazarowicz, the former Labour MP, as EMiS chair with a remit to grow the membership and boost the rejoin movement.
They also come on the 50th anniversary of the UK joining the then European Economic Community in 1973 and amid widespread evidence that British voters are repenting their 2016 decision to exit the EU (Brexit), increasingly tending to favour rejoining the world’s biggest peace project and trading bloc.
According to YouGov, only 32% of people across the UK now believe it was right to leave the EU while a clear majority, 56%, says it was wrong – a margin of 24 points, the widest recorded since the 2016 referendum. Almost three-quarters of young Scots wish to rejoin the EU.
Like EMiS, EU+me has been a non-partisan network of pro-Europeans making the positive case for our future as a European nation at the heart of the EU. Its outgoing chair, ex-SNP MP, Professor Gethins, is joining the EMiS executive as a co-opted member in the wake of the merger.
Stephen Gethins, former SNP MP and spokesperson for international affairs and Europe, said: “The European Union is one of the great success stories of our times. It has delivered peace, prosperity and stability to its citizens since it was founded.
“Every state that has joined the EU has seen an improvement in the quality of life of its citizens. The only Member State to have left, the UK, has seen a deterioration of its citizens’ quality of life.
“We all know that leaving the EU against our will has had a devastating impact on our economy, on our freedoms, protections and rights. Young people, who have had opportunity snatched away, and small businesses who have seen a dramatic increase in red tape have been particularly badly affected. It is unsurprising that support for rejoining the EU is growing in support whilst backing for remaining isolated outside is evaporating.
“This is the right time to consolidate the major pro-European campaigns in Scotland. Providing focus, scale and momentum. EMIS is the obvious point of consolidation and host for that process. EU+me have now formalised the partnership that we have always enjoyed with colleagues in EMIS. We will now be joining forces putting our resources, innovative content and network of relationships fully behind.”
David Clarke added: ” The statistics are becoming clearer by the day, no matter what the Brexit flat-earthers would have us believe – leaving the EU has made us poorer and our lives more difficult. As a result, pro-Europeans in Scotland are uniting around the benefits of closer links with our European partners with the eventual aim of rejoining the EU.
“We are determined to provide a clear and evidence-based path to closer cooperation with Europe and we look forward to working with partners in Scotland and the wider UK to overturn this divisive and disastrous Brexit.”
Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland, in partnership with Edinburgh Leisure, is running a weekly club for older adults to stay active, connected within their local community and build amazing friendships through their common love of sport.
Held on Tuesdays from 10.30am to 12.00 at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, the club runs weekly and is free to attend. No need to book – just turn up.
They are the perfect forum to reminisce about local sporting heroes, share stories about past playing days and show off your knowledge over a quiz or fun game. Everyone is welcome and a cuppa is available too.
Donna Mackey, Partnership Manager, SMFS, “The Royal Commonwealth Pool is a venue at the real heart of Edinburgh’s sporting heritage.
“We believe there are lots of older adults in the area who have a passion for talking about sport and who will benefit from attending a weekly group with like-minded people. The clubs are a great opportunity to build new friendships and become more active by taking part in some of our indoor games.”
Edinburgh Leisure’s Community Development Officer, Active Ageing, Ryan Dignan said: “Edinburgh Leisure’s partnership with Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland makes perfect sense, as does hosting these clubs at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, a building steeped in its own sporting history.
“These clubs support the work we are already doing working with people living with dementia through our Movement for Memories programme and other older adults in our Ageing Well programme, who are keen to keep active and engaged, which we know is particularly beneficial for their well-being.
“Using the rich history and heritage of sport, the Sporting Memories clubs are open to older adults, both men and women, who enjoy reminiscing about their experiences of watching or playing it. We just want anyone, with a love of sport, to come along and refreshments are provided.”
The clubs are run by trained Sporting Memories volunteers who use a wide range of Sporting Memories reminiscence resources developed specifically to help prompt conversation and discussion. There is always great fun and laughter, friendships are forged, and some remarkable sporting stories often emerge.
Sporting Memories has developed an innovative and engaging approach to tackling the challenges of our ageing society. Their work focuses on reducing loneliness and isolation; getting older people physically active; and helping people to live well with dementia and other long term conditions.
A dad-of-four who was left with almost no hope of walking again after a horrific car crash in 2020, is now dreaming of walking his daughters down the aisle thanks to an innovative therapy he is receiving at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit (QENSIU) in Glasgow.
Luke Louden, 32, suffered a broken neck and back, alongside multiple serious leg injuries, in the accident in August 2020, and for more than two years he was forced to contemplate the end of his life as he knew it.
“I was a dairyman before the accident,” said Luke, from Whauphill in Dumfries and Galloway, “and when I had the accident I knew instantly I was paralysed. The doctors didn’t say there was no chance of walking but they said there was a slim chance.
“It was really hard at the start, and I didn’t really know what to do. I was really fit and active, so to lose the use of my legs was tough.
“Early in my therapy, I put so much work in and didn’t see any return, and I could feel my hope just draining away. To make things worse, it was in the middle of lockdown, and I couldn’t see my family for months. That was really hard.”
However, in September this year Luke became the first patient to receive treatment with the newly installed ZeroG Gait and Balance System, a robotic apparatus where a patient is supported during therapy, automatically synchronising with their movements to help them walk and prevent falls. It is the first of its kind in Scotland.
“Quite quickly I began to feel the benefits, and now there’s less pain, fewer spasms, I sleep better and I have lost weight. It’s also been huge for my mental health.
“It’s transformed my life and how I feel. I’ve gone from hardly being able to move to being able to walk 20 metres non-stop on the bars. My record on the ZeroG system is 57 metres!
“I’d love to keep improving but, to be honest, if I couldn’t achieve any more I’d be happy the way I am. Just to be able to stand, even if it’s with a frame, is amazing.
“If you’d asked me six weeks ago if I could even achieve that I’d have said don’t be daft. But now I can stand next to my kids.”
Claire Lincoln, Senior Research Physiotherapist at the QENSIU, is one of the team who use the ZeroG system to work with patients. She said: “There is an understanding that the more repetitions of a movement we can manage, the better the neurological recovery.
“Before we installed this system, we were often limited in the number of repetitions we could achieve, given that we needed up to four physiotherapists for any session, and the patient would quickly become fatigued.
“Now we can achieve so much more. We only need one physio to support a patient using ZeroG, and the patient can do a lot more before becoming too tired. The system also allows us to be more creative with the activities we undertake, which means the patient gets more enjoyment and satisfaction while also seeing additional benefit.
“We are still learning the full potential of the system, but because of the support and added safety it gives patients, already it’s allowed us to try therapies earlier than would have been possible before.
“We have so many more options. We’re not necessarily doing anything different, but it allows us to try things in a different way.”
Consultant in Spinal Injuries Dr Mariel Purcell is lead clinician at the unit and director of medical research. She said: “When the unit first opened 30 years ago, a lot of the patient we saw were completely paralysed, from the neck or waist down. Now we are seeing different types of injuries, and more patients have the potential to get back on their feet.
“We used to see a lot of young males, who had perhaps been in a car crash or suffered an industrial accident, but the advances in safety – seat belt wearing and health and safety laws – have made a real difference.
“Now we are seeing damage that isn’t as bad, and we’re seeing older patients who have experienced lower-velocity injuries. This gives us a real chance to help these patients – and the ZeroG system will be instrumental in this work.”
Luke has a wife, Anna, and children Anna, 8, Chloe, 6, Mary, 4, and Isaac, 3, and they have been his inspiration and support.
“They have kept me going – especially my wife. I don’t know how I would have managed without her. I’ve had some really dark times, but now I can look forward with real hope.
“The dream would obviously be to walk my girls down the aisle, so I’m going to keep going, to keep trying, for Anna and all my children. I mean, look what this system has done for me up to now – you never know what further advances are round the corner.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s been tough, and the future is daunting, but the team here have been amazing, and I know they’ve got my back.”
Since September, Luke has been involved in one of two research studies using the ZeroG system.
The first is eWalk – which Luke is involved with – which involves patients with an chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (which means there is some function below a patient’s injury), who have been living with their injury for at least a year. They receive intensive walking training with body weight support from the ZeroG system, alongside spinal cord stimulation.
The second also involves patients with acute incomplete spinal cord injury. It involves an addition 12 hours of therapy on the ZeroG system every week, over and above their usual care.
Both studies are ongoing and the results will be published in due course
Shoppers are being advised to buy big if they want to avoid price hikes on eggs this winter – with the cost of very large eggs rising at a slower rate than medium ones.
Experts from price intelligence company Skuuudle have revealed new data which tracks the rising cost of eggs over the past five months.
A box of six medium eggs has risen by 14% while the same number of very large eggs has risen by only five percent according to the data.
In the comprehensive analysis of the price of eggs in the UK, 120 products sold across the seven major supermarkets have been forensically tracked over a five month period up until 5th December 2022.
With fresh food price inflation rising to 14.3% for the 12 months until November 2022 the price of a box of six medium eggs has risen by this figure in just the last five months.
Avian flu has disrupted the supply chain of some egg ranges, tightening supply of the most popular products and pushing the price up of sizes most in demand.
But savvy consumers can find better value on the shelves if they buy a box of six very large eggs rather than smaller sizes.
The data revealed that less popular egg products including the very large size and larger quantities of eggs rose by between five and seven percent whereas the more popular boxes of six large or medium rose by higher percentages.
This might also reflect a need for retailers to sell the most popular products for the highest prices relative to other variants.
Skuuudle generates market-leading data analytics to help retailers understand the markets they are operating in to continue to provide optimum prices for consumers – in the face of rising inflation.
This allows retailers to compare like for like products and accurately track changes in price of the same product across different retailers.
This level of insight is critical when accurately tracking the price of a product such as eggs that are in high demand but subject to supply shortages currently.
A Skuuudle spokesman said that retailers have an unenviable ‘balancing act’ to perform when it comes to pricing, having to consider the needs of the customer, their suppliers and the supply chain.
He said: “Egg shortages have been in the news recently with some supermarkets going as far as rationing the number individual customers can take home.
“These have largely been driven by supply chain issues which have also had an impact on the prices supermarkets are paying to their suppliers.
“What is interesting is how supermarkets are choosing to pass these increased costs onto ordinary consumers.
“Our data reveals that it’s the prices of the high volume products which are rising at the highest rate while variants such as very large eggs, are in effect becoming cheaper compared to medium-sized ones.
“By choosing very large eggs shoppers can avoid some of the price hike although as the cost of very large eggs is higher than medium anyway it may not feel like they are getting a bargain.”
More than 180 projects across rural Scotland will receive grants ranging from £100,000 to several hundred pounds, from the Rural & Island Communities Ideas into Action (RICIA) fund.
The fund encourages and supports not-for-profit community groups with innovative approaches to community-led local development, including work towards net zero and just transition goals, tackling rural poverty and supporting rural communities through the cost of living crisis.
Supported projects include:
building of mountain bike trails to bring in new visitors and provide sports opportunities to the local community
opening up of a community hall as a ‘warm space’ over the winter months and providing suppers to alleviate rising costs
purchase of educational equipment by a community centre to benefit the mental health of children, and
installation of solar thermal panels at a community hub to help manage electricity costs.
The funding is being delivered in partnership between the Scottish Government and Inspiring Scotland.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “We are working to ensure local communities are empowered to tackle local challenges.
“This investment comes at a critical time for our rural and island communities, who are disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis compared to the rest of the country.
“I wish all the successful community groups well as they now look to take forward these projects and make a positive difference to their local areas.”
Inspiring Scotland CEO Celia Tennant said: “We’re delighted to continue to support the Scottish Government to deliver the Rural and Islands Communities Ideas into Action Fund.
“We know local, grassroots groups are best placed to respond to the needs and opportunities most important to their communities. We look forward to working alongside successful applicants and will support them to make meaningful change in their local area.”
NHS Lothian has published the findings of a research project, funded by NHS Lothian Charity, to learn about the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh’s historical ties with the enslavement of African people and people of African descent.
The main findings include:
From 1729 to 1850, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) received at least £28,080 from 43 individuals with ties to Atlantic slavery. These donors included physicians, surgeons, politicians, colonial officials, bankers, and a range of merchants, both in Britain and its colonies, who were connected to the enslavement of African people in the British West Indies and America.
From 1749 to 1892, the RIE owned and leased an estate in Jamaica called Red Hill pen, bequeathed in the will of the Scottish surgeon and enslaver Dr Archibald Kerr. Until the abolition of slavery in Britain’s colonies in 1834, the RIE owned and leased the enslaved people, drawing substantial rents from the property. After Abolition, the estate employed ‘apprentice’ Black labourers.
Between 1773 and 1801, the RIE was involved in requests for the manumission (the granting of freedom) of an enslaved Black woman (Juliet) and later her two enslaved children (John and William Moodie) on Red Hill at the request of their father, Dr John Moodie, a White man.
Through a complex series of events, the RIE eventually received approximately £832 from the British Government after the abolition of slavery (1834) as ‘compensation’ for the loss of the labour of the enslaved people at Red Hill.
NHS Lothian is committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination and harassment, advancing equality of opportunity, and fostering good relations between the different groups of people working for the organisation and using its services.
Throughout January, a series of public engagement events, led in partnership between the project’s independent Advisory Group and researcher, will be held in Edinburgh and online.
The purpose of these events is to start a conversation about what we have learned, the lasting impact, and the changes NHS Lothian can make today.
We are particularly interested in hearing from those groups who are most adversely affected by this history of slavery, including NHS Lothian BME staff and the wider ethnically diverse communities across Lothian. The Advisory Group will then make recommendations to the NHS Lothian Board to suggest how the organisation might correctly and appropriately learn from its past and act to tackle the modern-day racism and racial inequalities experienced by the people who work for NHS Lothian and use our services.
Two open sessions will also take place at the Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh. During these sessions, relevant eighteenth and nineteenth century records used in the historical report will be available for people to view with the guidance of staff at Lothian Health Services Archive.
Talking about the importance of this charity-funded project, NHS Lothian Chief Executive, Calum Campbell said: “It is essential that our health and care system is truly inclusive so that everyone in Lothian lives longer, healthier lives, with better outcomes from the care and treatment we provide.
“We also strive to be an inclusive employer where everyone who works with and for us has better experiences. This work to acknowledge and tackle racism and racial inequality is vital to delivering this ambition.
“This project was fully funded by NHS Lothian’s official charity, NHS Lothian Charity. An independent researcher was contracted by NHS Lothian Charity to undertake the research and will lead the subsequent public engagement work.
“We hope that the public will get involved in conversations about this important work, helping us to understand and consider different reflections and viewpoints that will inform the independent Advisory Group’s final recommendations.”
Director of NHS Lothian Charity, Jane Ferguson said: “This is an important piece of work that we are serious about working in partnership on with NHS Lothian and we are providing charitable funding to take it forward.
“Reducing health inequality is one of the Charity’s priority objectives and this research helps both us and NHS Lothian understand what more we can do to help improve the health outcomes of our ethnically diverse communities.”
A list of FAQs has been provided to help with any questions that you might have about this project.
Industrial action in schools next week: all primaries closed on Tuesday 10 January, all secondaries closed on Wednesday 11 January, special schools are also affected.
Full details incl. nurseries and free school meal payments here:
The EIS has said that the New Year’s resolution for both the Scottish Government and COSLA must be to pay Scotland’s teachers fairly by coming back with a greatly improved pay offer.
Scotland’s teachers have not received a pay rise for the year 2022, despite being due for a pay increase in April.
Commenting as schools broke up for the Christmas holidays, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “As 2022 comes to a close, Scotland’s teachers are still waiting for a pay settlement that should have been paid to them in April. What Scotland’s teachers have been offered by the Scottish Government and COSLA amounts to a record real-terms pay cut of up to 11% in a single year.
“This is in the context of the value of teachers’ pay dropping by a massive 20% since 2008. It is little wonder that teachers voted so overwhelmingly for strike action, and remain determined to stand firm against the unprecedented pay cuts that have been offered.”
Ms Bradley continued, “Having taken one day of strike action in November, EIS members will resume a programme of strike action in the New Year. We have offered every opportunity to the Scottish Government and COSLA to settle this dispute, but they have stubbornly failed to take advantage of those opportunities.
“Reheating old offers and repeating tired spin is not going to fool Scotland’s teachers, and it is not going to resolve this dispute or end the ongoing programme of strike action. Neither teachers nor the public believe the claims that Scottish teachers are better paid than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK and internationally – in England the top of the pay scale is higher than in Scotland, and 14 OECD countries sit above Scotland on the league table of teachers’ pay.
“The only OECD league table on teachers’ conditions that Scotland has climbed is the one which quite shockingly shows that Scotland has the third worst record in the world when it comes to excessive class contact hours.
“Rather than Scottish Government spin, only a substantially improved, fair and credible offer can end this dispute and let teachers focus fully on teaching young people rather than having to fight for a fair wage.”
Ms Bradley added, “The Scottish Government and COSLA must do better. They owe it to Scotland’s teachers – the majority of them women – and Scotland’s pupils to end this dispute by committing to pay Scotland’s teachers a fair pay increase. This is about pay justice and gender pay justice.
“Teachers worked tirelessly as key workers throughout the pandemic, often putting their own health at risk to ensure the best possible education for Scotland’s young people amidst very difficult circumstances. Now, in the early stages of education recovery, teachers want to be in the classroom supporting pupils. But, as the cost-of-living soars, teachers deserve and expect an appropriate increase in their pay – not a deep real-terms pay cut, as they have consistently been offered.
“Education must be a top priority for government and for local authorities, and that means investing in Education, including investing in teachers, to ensure the best possible educational experience for all of Scotland’s young people.
“Scotland has a stated commitment to reducing the gender pay gap and to being a Fair Work nation by 2025. Having made these commitments and as the new year dawns, it has to be time for the Scottish Government and COSLA to resolve to offer a fair pay settlement to all of Scotland’s teachers.”