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.”
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.
The EIS condemned the Scottish Government and COSLA for presenting a revised pay offer to teachers that offers no tangible improvement on their previously rejected offers.
Following three months of delay, and the promise of an improved offer to teachers, the offer that was presented today provides no additional money and is, for many teachers, a worse offer than those previously rejected by teacher unions.
A special meeting of the EIS Salaries Committee, held online yesterday afternoon, has unanimously rejected the offer. As a result of this immediate rejection of the offer, strike action scheduled to begin on Thursday will go ahead.
EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “This offer is nothing less than an abject insult to Scotland’s hard-working teaching professionals. Teachers overwhelmingly rejected a 5% offer more than 3 months ago and now, after months of prevarication and weeks of empty promises, COSLA and the Scottish Government come back with an offer than is worth that same 5% to the vast majority of teachers.
“This is not, as the Scottish Government claims, a progressive offer – it is a divisive offer, made on a differentiated basis, which is actually worse for many teachers in promoted posts.”
Ms Bradley added, “Contrary to the claims made by the Cabinet Secretary in Parliament and in Scottish Government spin today, this is not an improved, realistic, progressive or generous offer. Our members will see this offer for exactly what it is – a kick in the teeth from their employers and the Scottish Government.
“This afternoon’s Salaries Committee expressed outrage at this offer, and that outrage is sure to be replicated in staffrooms across Scotland today and tomorrow. Our programme of strike action, which will commence as scheduled on Thursday, will clearly show the strength of feeling of Scotland’s teachers who will be out in numbers and with strong voice on picket lines and at regional rallies.”
Ms Bradley also corrected a false statement made by Cabinet Secretary Shirley Anne Somerville in the Scottish Parliament today, who repeatedly claimed that four offers had been made to teachers prior to today: “We have received, and rejected, three previous offers from COSLA and the Scottish Government before today: for 2%; 3.5% and 5%.
“Today’s offer, which is the fourth, is really no new offer at all, but a reheating of the previously rejected offer. Today’s offer includes no additional money, and is a sign of the contempt with which COSLA and the Scottish Government clearly view Scotland’s teaching professionals.”
Scottish Government: New ‘progressive’ pay offer made to teachers
A new progressive pay offer – the fourth which has been made to unions – recognises the impact of the cost of living crisis on lower-paid teachers, with an increase of up to 6.85%.
For those classroom teachers on the main grade scale, who benefit from pay progression, this offer will mean an increase in one year of over 10%.
Those at the top of the scale will receive a 5% increase, taking their salary to £44,453. A teacher moving from probation into a fully qualified post would gain an annual salary increase of 27%.
A fully qualified teacher in Scotland would receive £35,650 – over £7,500 more than their counterparts in England under the offer. The most experienced classroom teachers would receive £5,600 more than they would if they were teaching in England on the main pay range.
Overall, if accepted, this would represent a cumulative pay increase for the majority of teachers of 21.8% since 2018.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “This is a fair offer which recognises that the cost of living crisis is the priority, with higher increases for staff on lower salaries.
“This is now the fourth offer that has been made. In the same time EIS have not changed their request for a 10% pay increase – even for those on the highest incomes.
“I have been clear that we have limited room for manoeuvre. The financial situation for the Scottish Government is challenging and additional money for teacher pay means reduced public services elsewhere.
“In these challenging times it is important we focus our attention on those who are most impacted by the cost of living crisis, as well as ensuring fairness to all public sector workers. I would urge leadership to postpone plans for industrial action and consider this new offer.”
Commenting following the revised offer to the Teaching Trade Unions Councillor Katie Hagmann, COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson said: “Scottish Local Government values its entire workforce, of which teachers are a key part.
“We have this afternoon made a revised fourth offer to our trade union colleagues. It is fair, affordable and recognises that the cost-of-living crisis is the priority, with higher increases for staff on lower pay points. This is in line with the offers made to all other parts of the public sector.
“We have worked extremely hard and closely with Scottish Government to ensure such a revised offer could be brought forward and made today. I would call on our Trade Union colleagues to recognise that these are extremely challenging financial times we are operating in and we all need to make decisions with a full understanding of the consequences.
“Our offer ensures that we don’t place additional pressure on any other parts of our hardworking workforce and the essential services they deliver, and importantly it protects the best interests of children and young people. We hope our Trade Union partners will now postpone Thursday’s strikes.”
