Tag: EIS

EIS-FELA: Time running out to avert escalation of college lecturers dispute

The EIS has called on the Scottish Government and College Employers Scotland to take definitive action to ensure that college lecturers receive a fair and fully funded pay award.

College Employers Scotland have made clear to negotiators from the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) that their current offer would be funded through significant job losses across the publicly funded further education sector.

EIS-FELA members have been engaged in industrial action short of strike (ASOS), in the form of a resulting boycott and work to contract, since May 2023 and should have received their pay award one year ago.

Without an acceptable and fully funded offer, the EIS-FELA membership will escalate their industrial action campaign to include national and rolling strike action, alongside targeted strike action in the constituencies of key Scottish Government ministers, including the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education.

As politicians from the Scottish Government and all other parties at Holyrood return from the summer recess, EIS-FELA intends to take the campaign for a fully funded and fair pay award directly to parliament, with a rally planned outside the Scottish Parliament to coincide with the first FMQs of the new session.

College Employers Scotland have also this week refused a request made by the EIS to extend the current industrial action mandate. In the absence of such agreement from College Employers Scotland, the EIS has continued with the implementation of a national re-ballot for both action short of strike and strike action that has opened today (Thursday 31st August 2023).

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley, said, “Time is running out, on both the Scottish Government and College Employers Scotland, to avert the escalation of the crisis in Scotland’s colleges. No group of workers, least of all those in public sector institutions, should be told by their employers that they must sacrifice jobs to finance an already unacceptable pay offer.

“College Employers Scotland have yet to offer evidence that they have made clear to the Scottish Government that any acceptable pay award must be fully funded.

“The Scottish Government too must end its intransigence and avert this crisis by ensuring that no pay offer to hard working college lecturers is financed by job losses. EIS-FELA members are prepared to take substantial strike action, on top of action short of strike, in pursuit of a fully funded and fair pay award. They do so with the full backing of the EIS behind them.”

EIS-FELA President, Anne-Marie Harley, said, “College lecturers should have received a fair pay award a year ago and have been forced into the unacceptable situation of escalating their industrial action to a wide-ranging programme of strike action, including targeted strike action in the constituencies of Scottish Government ministers.

“We do so alongside a re-ballot of our members to ensure that we can continue this fight for fair pay for as long as it takes. EIS-FELA will never trade jobs for pay and both College Employers Scotland and the Scottish Government must act swiftly to avert strike action through providing a fully funded a fair pay award for college lecturers that does not result in job losses.”

A full programme of strike action is provided below:

  • Thursday 7th September: National strike Day.

Rolling Action Week One:

  • Monday 11th September: New College Lanarkshire and Orkney College.
  • Tuesday 12th September: Glasgow Clyde College and Sabhal Mor Ostaig.
  • Wednesday 13th September: Forth Valley College and UHI Moray.
  • Thursday 14th September: Glasgow Kelvin College and NESCoL.
  • Friday 15th September: Fife College and UHI North, West and Hebrides.

Rolling Action Week Two:

  • Monday 18th September: West College Scotland and Newbattle Abbey College.
  • Tuesday 19th September: UHI Argyle and Ayrshire College.
  • Wednesday 20th September: South Lanarkshire College and Shetland College.
  • Thursday 21st September: Dumfries & Galloway College and Dundee & Angus College.
  • Friday 22nd September: UHI Perth and Edinburgh College.

Rolling Action Week Three:

  • Monday 25th September: UHI Inverness and West Lothian College.
  • Tuesday 26th September: City of Glasgow College and Borders College.
  • Targeted Action: 2nd, 3rd and 4th October:
  • Glasgow Clyde College: First Minister’s constituency.
  • Fife College: Cabinet Secretary for Education’s constituency.
  • Dundee & Angus College: Deputy First Minister’s and Minister for FE’s constituency.

EIS members overwhelmingly vote to accept teacher pay offer

Members of the EIS have voted overwhelmingly to accept the current pay offer proposed by local authority employers and the Scottish Government.

In an online ballot that closed today, 90%  of those voting opted to accept the pay offer. Turnout in the ballot was 82% . The EIS represents over 80% of Scotland’s teachers at all grades and in all sectors of education.

Speaking after the ballot result was announced at a meeting of the EIS national Council in Edinburgh yesterday, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said: “EIS members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the current pay offer, with 90% of those voting opting to accept in an online ballot.

“Turnout in the ballot was also high, confirming that Scotland’s teachers believe that it is now time to accept the offer and bring an end to the programme of industrial action in our schools.”

Ms Bradley added, “The acceptance of this offer will mean that, for most teachers, their pay will increase by 12.3% by next month in comparison to current pay levels. This includes a backdated 7% increase from April 2022, and a 5% increase from this April.

“Teachers will also receive a further 2% increase in pay from January next year, with the next pay settlement then scheduled to be negotiated and payable from August 2024 onwards. The total current package will amount to a 14.6% increase in pay for most teachers by January 2024.”

Ms Bradley continued, “EIS members have taken a pragmatic decision in voting to accept the current pay offer. While it does not meet our aspirations in respect of a restorative pay settlement for Scotland’s teachers, it is the best deal that can realistically be achieved in the current political and financial climate without further prolonged industrial action.

“It compares favourably with recent pay settlements across the public sector, and does provide pay certainty for Scotland’s teachers for the next 16 months until the next pay settlement is scheduled to be delivered in August 2024.”

Ms Bradley concluded, “It is deeply regrettable that it took a sustained industrial dispute, and the first programme of national strike action on pay by teachers in forty years, for the Scottish Government and COSLA to finally come up with an acceptable pay offer for Scotland’s hard-working teaching professionals.

“Scotland’s pupils, parents and teachers deserve better, and the Scottish Government and Scotland’s local authorities must commit to ensuring that education is properly funded, and that teachers are fairly paid, in all future years in order that Scottish Education can provide as it should for our young people and for the good of our whole society.”

Resolution in sight as ‘historic’ pay offer made to teachers

*14.6% pay uplift over 28 months *

*Union recommends acceptance *

Teachers across Scotland have been offered the largest pay package in over twenty years, with most teachers seeing their salaries rise by £5,200 in April if the new pay offer is accepted. The EIS is to ballot its members on the latest pay offer to teachers, with a recommendation that the offer should be accepted.

The 28-month deal – the sixth offered to unions – has a cumulative value of 14.6% and would mean an overall increase of more than £6,100 for the 70% of classroom teachers who are at the top of their main grade pay scale.

It would amount to a cumulative rise of 33% for most teachers since January 2018 and would bring the starting salary for a fully qualified teacher – already the highest in the UK – to £38,650 after probation by January 2024.

The revised offer, agreed by the Scottish Government and COSLA, is:

  • 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 – a 7% uplift for all grades up to a ceiling of £80,000, where a cap of £5,600 (pro-rata) will apply
  • 1 April 2023 to 31 December 2023 – a 5% uplift for all grades up to a ceiling of £80,000, where a cap of £4,000 (pro-rata) will apply
  • 1 January 2024 to 31 July 2024 – a 2% uplift for all grades up to a ceiling of £80,000, where a cap of £1,600 (pro-rata) will apply

Cumulatively, these amount to an uplift of 12.4% by April 2023 and 14.6% from 1 January 2024.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Teachers make an invaluable contribution to the lives of our children and young people. This historic offer, if accepted by unions, would see teacher pay increase by 33% from January 2018 to January 2024.

“We have looked for compromise and we have arrived at a deal that is fair, affordable, and sustainable for everyone involved. The Scottish Government is supporting this deal with total funding of over £320 million across this year and next.

“This reflects our commitment to reach a fair agreement and avoid further disruption to children and young people’s education.

“I hope that teaching unions will now give their members the opportunity to consider this new offer and to suspend the planned industrial action next week. This would minimise any further disruption to learning, particularly in the run up to the SQA exam diet.”

COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said: “We have reached a position today whereby we sincerely hope our Trade Union partners can take this revised offer to their membership for a vote.

“Scotland’s Council Leaders fully value all of their workforce and recognise the invaluable contribution teachers make to the lives of our children and young people.”

The EIS is to ballot its members on a revised pay offer to teachers that was presented yesterday by local authority employers, with a recommendation that the offer should be accepted.

The EIS is also suspending all planned industrial action while it ballots its members on the new offer.

A special meeting of the EIS Salaries Committee, comprised of teachers from across Scotland, has this evening unanimously agreed to ballot members on the new offer. The Committee also overwhelmingly agreed to recommend that members vote to accept the new pay offer.

Subsequent to the decision of the Salaries Committee, a special meeting of the EIS Executive Committee agreed to suspend all planned industrial action while members are consulted on the offer. The online ballot will open today (Friday) and run until 1000hrs on Friday 10th March.

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “The view of our negotiators is that this deal represents the best that can be achieved in the current political and financial climate without a much more prolonged campaign of industrial action.

“It is through the determination and collective action of teachers and associated professionals across Scotland, led by EIS members, that we have improved this pay offer from an initial 2% for the current year to 7% for the current financial year, with additional increases of 5% and then 2% within the following financial year.

“This will result in the majority of teachers seeing a 12.3% increase on their current rate of pay by April of this year and by 14% by January 2024.”

Ms Bradley added, “This has been a long dispute which has been challenging for all concerned. Teachers have taken strike action as a last resort, and that strike action has delivered an improved pay offer that the EIS can credibly put to its members with a recommendation to accept.

“It is now for our members to decide whether to accept this offer, and it is our recommendation that they should do so.”

Pay offer details:

  Current Salary 2021/22 Salary following 1/4/22 7% increase Salary following 1/4/23 5% increase Salary following 1/1/24 2% increase 
Principles Point 8 £59,571.00 £63,741.00 £66,927.00 £68,265.54 
Probationers Main Scale Point 0 £28,113.00 £30,081.00 £31,584.00 £32,215.68 
Teachers Main Scale Point 1 £33,729.00 £36,090.00 £37,896.00 £38,653.92 
Teachers Main Scale Point 2 £35,643.00 £38,139.00 £40,047.00 £40,847.94 
Teachers Main Scale Point 3 £37,713.00 £40,353.00 £42,372.00 £43,219.44 
Teachers Main Scale Point 4 £40,107.00 £42,915.00 £45,060.00 £45,961.20 
Teachers Main Scale Point 5 £42,336.00 £45,300.00 £47,565.00 £48,516.30 
Music Instructors Point 6 £39,147.00 £41,886.00 £43,980.00 £44,859.60 
Educational Psychologist Point 6 £60,423.00 £64,653.00 £67,887.00 £69,244.74 
Principal Ed. Psych Point 9 £74,382.00 £79,590.00 £83,571.00 £85,171.00 
L Teach Point National £67,449.00 £72,171.00 £75,780.00 £77,295.60 
Heads & Deputes Point 1 £52,350.00 £56,016.00 £58,818.00 £59,994.00 
Heads & Deputes Point 2 £53,964.00 £57,741.00 £60,627.00 £61,839.54 
Heads & Deputes Point 3 £55,740.00 £59,643.00 £62,625.00 £63,877.50 
Heads & Deputes Point 4 £57,657.00 £61,692.00 £64,776.00 £66,071.52 
Heads & Deputes Point 5 £59,571.00 £63,741.00 £66,927.00 £68,265.54 
Heads & Deputes Point 6 £61,185.00 £65,469.00 £68,742.00 £70,116.84 
Heads & Deputes Point 7 £62,964.00 £67,371.00 £70,740.00 £72,154.80 
Heads & Deputes Point 8 £64,737.00 £69,270.00 £72,735.00 £74,189.70 
Heads & Deputes Point 9 £66,498.00 £71,154.00 £74,712.00 £76,206.24 
Heads & Deputes Point 10 £68,271.00 £73,050.00 £76,704.00 £78,238.08 
Heads & Deputes Point 11 £71,223.00 £76,209.00 £80,019.00 £81,619.00 
Heads & Deputes Point 12 £74,175.00 £79,368.00 £83,337.00 £84,937.00 
Heads & Deputes Point 13 £77,124.00 £82,524.00 £86,523.00 £88,123.00 
Heads & Deputes Point 14 £80,070.00 £84,870.00 £88,869.00 £90,469.00 
Heads & Deputes Point 15 £83,445.00 £88,245.00 £92,244.00 £93,844.00 
Heads & Deputes Point 16 £87,771.00 £92,571.00 £96,570.00 £98,170.00 
Heads & Deputes Point 17 £91,212.00 £96,012.00 £100,011.00 £101,611.00 
Heads & Deputes Point 18 £95,409.00 £100,209.00 £104,208.00 £105,808.00 
Heads & Deputes Point 19 £99,609.00 £104,409.00 £108,408.00 £110,008.00 

Teachers begin two day strike action

The EIS will continue with its current programme of strike action ‘until a more credible offer is put onto the negotiating table’.

The reasons for rejecting the most recent offer are available here. 

The EIS recently announced an escalation of its action to include targeted strike action in schools within the constituencies of the First Minister, Deputy First Minster, Cabinet Secretary for Education, and COSLA Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Katie Hagmann.

As the Scottish Green Party is a party of the Scottish Government, part of its Education Spokesperson’s (Ross Greer) regional constituency has also been targeted – the part of Clydebank and Milngavie constituency that lies within the East Dunbartonshire Council area.

There will be two days of national strike action for all members on Tuesday 28th February and Wednesday 1 March and a further 20 days of rolling strike action between 13 March and 21 April 2023. 

National Strike Days

DateLocal Associations
Tuesday 28th FebruaryAll Local Associations
Wednesday 1st MarchAll Local Associations

Targeted Strikes

DateConstituencies
7th – 9th MarchGlasgow Southside, Dunfermline, Perthshire North, the part of Clydebank and Milngavie constituency that lies within the East Dunbartonshire Council area and Mid Galloway & Wigtown West

20 Days of Rolling Strikes

Local AssociationStrike Date – All SchoolsStrike Date – PrimaryStrike Date – Secondary
Aberdeen City27-Mar-2324-Mar-2328-Mar-23
Aberdeenshire23-Mar-2322-Mar-2324-Mar-23
Angus14-Mar-2315-Mar-2313-Mar-23
Argyll and Bute20-Mar-2317-Mar-2321-Mar-23
Clackmannanshire27-Mar-2324-Mar-2328-Mar-23
Dumfries and Galloway30-Mar-2329-Mar-2331-Mar-23
Dundee20-Mar-2317-Mar-2321-Mar-23
East Ayrshire15-Mar-2316-Mar-2314-Mar-23
East Dunbartonshire19-Apr-2318-Apr-2320-Apr-23
East Lothian17-Mar-2315-Mar-2316-Mar-23
East Renfrewshire30-Mar-2329-Mar-2331-Mar-23
Edinburgh17-Mar-2316-Mar-2320-Mar-23
Falkirk21-Mar-2320-Mar-2322-Mar-23
Fife17-Apr-2319-Apr-2318-Apr-23
Glasgow20-Apr-2321-Apr-2319-Apr-23
Highland15-Mar-2316-Mar-2314-Mar-23
Inverclyde19-Apr-2318-Apr-2320-Apr-23
Midlothian28-Mar-2327-Mar-2329-Mar-23
Moray18-Apr-2317-Apr-2319-Apr-23
North Ayrshire16-Mar-2315-Mar-2317-Mar-23
North Lanarkshire28-Mar-2327-Mar-2329-Mar-23
Orkney22-Mar-2321-Mar-2323-Mar-23
Perth and Kinross20-Apr-2321-Apr-2319-Apr-23
Renfrewshire21-Mar-2320-Mar-2322-Mar-23
Shetland24-Mar-2323-Mar-2327-Mar-23
South Ayrshire17-Mar-2320-Mar-2316-Mar-23
South Lanarkshire29-Mar-2328-Mar-2330-Mar-23
Stirling23-Mar-2322-Mar-2324-Mar-23
The Scottish Borders22-Mar-2321-Mar-2323-Mar-23
West Dunbartonshire14-Mar-2313-Mar-2315-Mar-23
West Lothian24-Mar-2323-Mar-2327-Mar-23
Western Isles29-Mar-2328-Mar-2330-Mar-23

Targeted teacher strikes commence in constituencies of key politicians

The EIS has commenced targeted strike action within the constituencies of key politicians with the ability to resolve the ongoing pay dispute.

Teachers in Glasgow Southside (Nicola Sturgeon), Perthshire North (John Swinney), Dunfermline (Shirley-Anne Somerville), and the East Dunbartonshire part of Clydebank & Milngavie (Ross Greer) have started 3-days of consecutive strike action, as the dispute over teacher pay intensifies.

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “Today’s intensification of strike action is a direct result of the failure of the Scottish Government and COSLA to deliver an acceptable pay offer to Scotland’s teachers.

“As a result, this intensified strike action is targeted directly at the politicians with the ability to deliver a better pay offer that can end this pay dispute – just as is happening in Health. Teachers do not want to be on strike, but the fact that they are is an indictment on politicians within the Scottish Government and COSLA who have the authority to deliver a better pay deal, but have failed to do so.

“Parents and students have every right to be angry at the fact that local and national politicians continue to collude in withholding a fair settlement from Scotland’s teachers. This is another part of the chronic underfunding of Education both by national and local government in spite of the claims that Education is a number one priority in this country.”

Ms Bradley added, “In response to requests from our members, I have now also now written to members in the Secondary sector with guidance in relation to entering into voluntary arrangements for the marking of SQA exam papers.

“While the marking of SQA exams papers is a voluntary activity and is therefore not part of our dispute with employers, many members have expressed an unwillingness to sign up as SQA markers while this pay dispute is ongoing.

“Having taken legal advice on this matter, the EIS can confirm that our members are absolutely within their rights to decline or delay signing up as SQA markers while the pay dispute remains unresolved. It is entirely a matter for each member to decide if they wish, or do not wish, to enter into a voluntary agreement with the SQA to mark exam scripts.”

Ms Bradley concluded, “The EIS remains, as ever, available for discussions with the Scottish Government and COSLA for further talks towards a negotiated settlement on teachers’ pay.

“Our members want to be in the classroom, and strike action can be halted immediately by the delivery of a suitably improved offer that could credibly be recommended to our members.”

Industrial action in schools: an open letter to learners

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Shirley-Anne Somerville outlines support for pupils during industrial action, particularly for those preparing for exams:

Dear Learner,

I would like to reassure you that I am doing everything I can to resolve the pay dispute with the teaching unions and bring an end to industrial action. I know the disruption caused by strikes will be a particular worry for those of you who are preparing for exams.

I have written to councils asking them to consider how secondary schools can remain open on strike days for learners preparing for exams. This is decided by councils on a school by school basis and you and your family will hear directly if your school can be open for you on future strike days.

As was the case during the pandemic, a wide range of study support is available through the National e-Learning offer (NeLO) which you can access when schools are closed. This includes thousands of live, recorded and other online resources that support learning and revision. I have set out below the wider support package that is in place to help you prepare for your exams.

We are also continuing to work with partners, including the SQA and councils, on contingencies for the exams themselves, should industrial action continue.

We very much hope, however, that the pay dispute will be resolved soon and that these contingencies will not be required. 

The Scottish Government, our agencies and your council will continue to do everything we can to support you in the run up to and during the exam diet.

Support throughout the year

The NeLO site offers a searchable database of nearly 25,000 senior phase resources for learners across hundreds of courses. This includes over 3,000 recorded lessons, created by Scottish teachers. Learners in all 32 local authorities access NeLO regularly.

In addition, there are a wide range of offers from local authorities and the Regional Improvement Collaboratives, often with partners.  For example:

Easter study support

As was the case last year – as part of NeLO – live, interactive Easter Study Support webinars for Senior Phase pupils will run from 3 to 14 April.  Webinars will be available to support learners with 80 different qualifications across 30 subjects. The offer includes courses at SCQF levels 4-7 (National 4, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher).  Letters were sent to Directors of Education informing them of the offer on 21 February and registration will be launched for learners on 1 March.

Exam support

Modifications to the 2022 National Qualifications are being continued in the 2023 academic session.  SQA have issued the ‘Your National Qualifications‘ booklet, and will include study and exams tips in the ‘Your Exams’ booklet in mid-March.  Recognising the continued impact of COVID the SQA, has confirmed a sensitive, evidence-based approach to grading this year which will benefit learners. 

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills

Shirley-Anne Somerville

Further information on the targeted strike action, and the schools impacted by the action, can be found here: https://www.eis.org.uk/campaigns/payattention

Teachers reject latest offer: planned strikes to go ahead

A special meeting of the EIS Salaries Committee, held online today, has unanimously rejected the latest revised pay offer from the Scottish Government and COSLA.

The new offer, announced in the media yesterday before it was given to teaching unions, offers only a marginal improvement on previously rejected offers. As a result, the EIS will reject the offer and continue with its current programme of strike action until a more credible offer is put onto negotiating table.

Commenting this afternoon, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “This is another inadequate offer to Scotland’s teachers, which was unanimously rejected by the EIS Salaries Committee earlier today.

“The 6% value of the offer for 2022-23 is insufficient, with CPI inflation currently sitting today at 10.5%. The 6% offer for this year is only 1% less of a pay cut than that previously offered, twice, by the Scottish Government and COSLA.

“Teachers have already lost more than 1% of their salaries through being forced into strike action so, essentially, teachers already more than paid for this revised offer themselves. This is just yet more smoke and mirrors from the Scottish Government and COSLA in attempting to make this offer appear more generous than it actually is.”

Ms Bradley continued, “The suggested year two component of 5.5% hasn’t been negotiated via the appropriate forum, the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), at all. Indeed, teaching unions haven’t even submitted our pay claim for 2023/24 yet, as a consequence of the current dispute.

“In attempting to tag on next year’s pay settlement, without any negotiation at all, the Scottish Government and COSLA are attempting to tie the hands not just of teacher trade unions but all public sector unions – and this is unacceptable to the EIS.”

Ms Bradley added, “The conduct of the Scottish Government and COSLA in this process has been equally unacceptable. From dragging the process out interminably, to seeking to create divisions both between different grades of teachers and different groups of workers, to seeking to bypass the agreed negotiating processes and sharing information on pay offers with the media before sharing them with the trade unions representing teachers – these have not been good-faith actions.

“Their emphasis throughout has been on spin rather than genuine attempts to reach an agreed pay settlement through proper negotiation.”

Ms Bradley went on to add, “As a result of the clear decision to reject this offer, taken by our Salaries Committee today, our Executive Committee has also unanimously agreed that the current programme of strike action will continue as scheduled.

“The EIS remains, as ever, willing and available to engage in further discussions with both the Scottish Government and COSLA, through the appropriate forum within the SNCT, to attempt to reach a resolution to this dispute.”

The EIS has emailed its members this afternoon, advising on the decisions to reject the offer and continue with strike action and the reasoning behind those decisions.

A copy of this email can be viewed here.

Teachers’ strikes: new offer tabled

Most teachers will see their salaries rise by 11.5% in April – IF a new pay offer is accepted

LOCAL Government umbrella body COSLA last night submitted an improved offer to unions to resolve the long-running teachers pay dispute.

The deal – the fifth offered to unions – would mean an overall increase of more than £5,000 over two years for the 70% of classroom teachers who are at the top of their main grade pay scale.

It would amount to a cumulative rise of almost 30% for most teachers since January 2018 and would bring the starting salary for a fully qualified teacher – already the highest in the UK – to £37,719 after probation.

The revised offer, agreed by the Scottish Government and COSLA, is:

2022-23

  • 6% for all staff earning up to £80,000 from 1 April 2022
  • £4,800 for all those earning in excess of £80,000

2023-24

  • 5.5% for all staff earning up to £80,000 from 1 April 2023
  • £4,400 for all those earning in excess of £80,000

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Teachers make an invaluable contribution to the lives of our children and young people. This significant offer, if accepted by unions, would see teacher pay increase by almost 30% since January 2018.

“While union demands for an in-year 10% increase are unaffordable within the Scottish Government’s fixed budget, we have looked for compromise and we have arrived at a deal that is fair, affordable, and sustainable for everyone involved.

“The Scottish Government is supporting this new offer with additional funding of £156 million. This is on top of the £50 million that we have already provided to local authorities in support of an enhanced pay offer for teachers.

“The offer is being made at a time of extraordinary financial pressure on the Scottish Government budget. Difficult decisions will have to be made to free up the required resources. This reflects our commitment to reach a fair agreement and avoid further disruption to children and young people’s education.

“I have written to the unions asking that their members are given the opportunity to consider this new offer, which is the fifth to be tabled. While they do so, I have asked that they suspend any planned industrial action. This would minimise any further disruption to learning, particularly in the run up to the SQA exam diet.”

COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said: “Given the funding assurances received from the Scottish Government, Leaders have agreed to submit a revised offer to the Trade Unions tonight.

“COSLA Leaders are clear that it is in all of our interests, not least those of children, young people and families, to conclude the teachers’ pay negotiations as quickly as we can to bring back stability and certainty in our schools. 

“We are determined to provide a fair and affordable pay offer to all our employees, including teachers. In that regard, following today’s meeting Leaders agreed to mandate me to take a refreshed offer to the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) and we hope that this is acceptable to them.”

Teachers’ union EIS responded late last might: “The EIS has now received formal notification of a revised pay offer from COSLA. This came well after details of the revised offer were shared with media outlets. This is disrespectful of the appropriate negotiating process through the SNCT.”

The EIS, who had been seeking a 10% rise, will look at the detail of the latest offer today before deciding whether to put the offer to members.

Schools: Something’s got to give (2)

EIS to escalate strikes to include targeted action

YESTERDAY, 7 February, marked one whole year since Scottish teaching unions submitted their pay claim for 2022-23 via the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT).

A year on, that pay claim remains unsettled and teachers across the country are engaged in a programme of industrial action in pursuit of a fair pay settlement.

As a result, the EIS has announced an escalation of its action to include targeted strike action in schools within the constituencies of key decision makers within the Scottish Government and COSLA.

EIS Office Bearers and other senior EIS Representatives took part in photo calls outside the Scottish Government and COSLA HQ in Edinburgh yesterday, delivering Birthday cards to mark the 1st anniversary of the teachers’ pay claim being submitted.

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “It is deeply regrettable that the continuing inaction, obfuscation and spin from the Scottish Government and COSLA on teachers’ pay has led to an escalation of our programme of strike action.

“It has now been a year since our pay claim was submitted, and teachers should have had their pay rise in their pay packet last April. Instead, the Scottish Government and COSLA initially offered a pathetic 2% pay settlement – at a time when inflation was nearly four times that amount.

“Since then, the Scottish Government and COSLA have dithered, delayed and dragged their feet while the cost of living has continued to soar.”

Ms Bradley added, “The latest offer, for a well-below inflation 5%, has now been kicking around for six months and has been rejected by Scotland’s teachers twice. Our members have already taken part in three days of national strike action, and a further 16-days of rolling action across the country.

“The response from the Scottish Government and COSLA has been, essentially, nil – and this now has forced an escalation in our action. The offer of a 9% real-terms pay cut, which is what is on the table, will never be acceptable.”

The escalation of action means that, in addition to 2 days of national strike action already called for 28th February and 1st March, and a 20 further days of rolling strikes across all local authority areas from 13th March until 21st April, there will be targeted action in the constituencies of the First Minister, Deputy First Minster, Cabinet Secretary for Education, and COSLA Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Katie Hagmann.

Scottish Greens Education Spokesperson Ross Greer’s East Dunbartonshire constituency area will also be targeted.

EIS members in four of these five areas will be called out on three consecutive days from Wednesday, 22nd February – Friday, 24th February inclusive.

All five areas will be targeted for a further three days of action from Tuesday, 7th March. Precise details of the schools involved in this action on the relevant dates will be published shortly.

Further periods of targeted action are likely, if no new pay offer is forthcoming.

Education: COSLA seeks urgent talks with Scottish Government following emergency meeting

A COSLA Spokesperson said: “Following an emergency meeting of Leaders today (Friday) Council Leaders have agreed that COSLA approach the Scottish Government seeking urgent further discussions around their expectations for education. There was agreement that Scottish Government expectations cannot be met unless additional necessary resources are provided.

“Council Leaders re-emphasised their great disappointment with the approach taken by Scottish Government on this matter which is neither in the spirit of partnership working nor recognises councils’ legitimate authority to make decisions on the services they deliver on behalf of their local communities.”

“A mandate has been provided to open discussions to consider how the government’s priorities might be delivered, including considerations on the flexibilities and the overall quantum of funding in the Local Government settlement and establish a shared understanding of the best path forward, to achieve our shared objective of closing the attainment gap and maintaining other vital local services.”

“Leaders remain committed to improving attainment and closing the poverty related attainment gap and achieving the best outcomes possible for all young people. Local Government has made good progress in the last few years and have seen the biggest ever decrease in the gap. 

Leaders acknowledge this is down to the partnership working between local and central government pulling together for a shared outcome, which always provides the best opportunity to achieve our ambitions in difficult circumstances.”

The Salaries Committee of the EIS has highlighted that the First Minister has it within her power to bring an end to the current dispute over teacher pay.

This follows a question at First Minister’s Questions in Parliament, where the First Minister said that she “very much hoped” that a resolution to the pay dispute could be reached “soon”.

Commenting following a meeting of the EIS Salaries Committee on Thursday afternoon, where the ongoing dispute over pay dominated the agenda, EIS Salaries Convener Des Morris said, “While the EIS Salaries Committee very much shares the First Minister’s ‘hope’ that a resolution to the pay dispute can be reached ‘soon’, we would also point out that the ability to settle the dispute is very much within the First Minister’s power.

“The only thing that will settle this dispute is an improved offer to Scotland’s teachers, one that is both fair and affordable to them, which will involve additional new money from the Scottish Government.

“This is what was done to settle disputes with other local government workers. It is the First Minister who has ultimate control over the purse strings so, if she wishes this dispute to be settled soon, the First Minister should authorise the Cabinet Secretary and her officials to release the comparatively modest additional funding needed to end this dispute.”

Mr Morris continued, “The truth is, that little or no progress has been made towards an agreement for several months. There are currently no further pay negotiations scheduled within the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT).

“Negotiating meetings through the SNCT have become profoundly frustrating affairs, as Scottish Government negotiators are coming into talks with their hands effectively tied and with no additional money to offer. We have been extremely clear that the current 5% offer on the table – which was itself simply a repackaging of a previously rejected 5% offer – will not be accepted by Scotland’s teachers.

“We have now rejected sub-inflationary 5% offers twice, and underlined this rejection through three days of strike action by most EIS members, so only a fresh offer which is good enough to put to our members for consideration can hope to halt strike action in our schools.”

Mr Morris added, “As ever, the EIS remains ready and willing to re-enter discussions with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities to discuss a new pay offer for teachers.

“We are not, however, willing to continue discussing the same offer that has now been rejected by teachers twice. The Scottish Government and COSLA must come up with an improved offer to allow pay discussions to progress towards an agreement that genuinely reflects both the soaring cost of living and the value of Scotland’s teachers.”

Bin the Spin: Scottish Government talk of ‘positive discussions’ on teacher pay largely a PR exercise, says EIS

Scotland’s teacher unions have expressed their collective anger and disappointment with the continuing lack of progress in pay negotiations with the Scottish Government and COSLA.

An SNCT negotiating meeting that was held last Friday, which was again labelled as “positive and constructive” by the Scottish Government and COSLA, once again failed to result in any progress whatsoever toward a new pay offer to Scotland’s teachers.

While trade unions remain committed to a fair pay agreement, negotiated through the SNCT, teachers’ representatives are increasingly questioning whether the Scottish Government and COSLA truly share this commitment. No further negotiation meetings of the SNCT are currently scheduled.

Commenting, Des Morris – EIS Salaries Convener and Chair of the Teachers’ Side of the SNCT – said, “It is becoming increasingly clear that both the Scottish Government and COSLA have little or no interest in finding the modest additional funding that could bring a new offer to the table to potentially end this pay dispute.

“Five months since their sub-inflationary 5% pay offer was overwhelmingly rejected by teachers, and more than two months since a rehashed version of the same offer was again rejected, the Scottish Government and COSLA brought absolutely nothing new to the table in last week’s meeting – just a  stubborn stance that Scotland’s teachers should accept 5% which represents yet another substantial real-terms pay cut that only further erodes the value of teachers’ pay.

“The reality is that the union side wants to negotiate, and has offered a wide range of suggestions towards the potential ‘compromise’ that the First Minister and her Cabinet Secretary have said is needed to reach agreement.

“We have had absolutely no proposals from the Scottish Government and COSLA, however – merely the same old tired lines, and a repeated and unreasonable insistence that all of the ‘compromise’ must come from Scotland’s teachers.”

Mr Morris added, “It is disingenuous and unacceptable for the Scottish Government and COSLA to continue to misrepresent negotiations as positive and constructive.

“The cold, hard truth is that, despite all their public claims of ‘working tirelessly’ and ‘turning over every stone’ to reach agreement, their entrenched position and refusal to offer any compromise at all leaves teachers, children and young people, and their parents facing the prospect of continuing and escalating strike action in Scotland’s schools.

“The ongoing and planned strike action is entirely avoidable. The Scottish Government and COSLA need to come forward with a genuinely improved offer that unions can put to our members.”

SSTA to Take Two Further Days of Strike Action

The SSTA National Executive has, following another failed SNCT negotiating meeting, authorised two days of strike action on Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 March.

The SSTA will be joining members of sister unions in national strike action in a coordinated campaign of industrial action.

Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said: “The SSTA has taken a measured approach to industrial action due to the impact it would have on the pupils preparing for exams.

“The deliberate inaction of the Scottish Government and COSLA just shows the lack of respect and level of contempt, not only for teachers, but for the pupils they teach, forcing teachers to take more strike action. The Scottish Government and its accomplice COSLA are failing education, having deliberately refused to put any new money on the table since August last year”.

“The Scottish Government and COSLA were adamant during the pandemic that schools needed to be kept open and education needed to be continued regardless of the risks and dangers that teachers were placed in. These are the same people who have allowed this pay dispute to continue, see schools closed and pupils’ education disrupted. How can these people sit on their hands and seek compromise when they have refused to make any movement in five months?”

“How many more times are teachers to hear the same old rhetoric ‘we value teachers, and we are putting together a new offer’ only for another week to pass without a penny being put on the table. The SSTA has no option but to step up its industrial action”.

Catherine Nicol, SSTA President said. “Teacher unions are standing together and, with the support of the public and parents, we will succeed. However, we urge parents and members of the public to help by demanding action from the First Minister and Councils and get teachers back to school teaching”.

“Teachers have been propping up the education system for years by working many more hours a week than they are paid for and this goodwill is running out due to the arrogance of the employers and government who appear to want to break teachers resolve. I can assure them teachers are standing firm to get a fair pay settlement. Teachers need to say ‘No to Free Overtime’ and demand a salary that will retain and recruit teachers for the future”.