There has still been no advance on a Scottish teacher pay offer made in November after talks broke up this afternoon, while one union has announced more strike dates.
Discussions were held today between teaching unions, the Scottish government and local authorities’ body Cosla, nearly two months after the first national teacher pay strike in Scotland since 1984-85.
There has been a series of strikes since then, including ongoing EIS teaching union action in which teachers from two different local authorities are taking action every day for 16 consecutive school days.
At around 5pm today, however, Tes Scotland learned that - as had been widely expected - there was no new pay offer, meaning teacher strikes will continue as scheduled next week.
The EIS said there had been “no real progress towards a new offer from the Scottish government and Cosla”.
Unions rejected November’s pay offer of 5 per cent for the majority of teachers and up to 6.85 per cent for probationer teachers. The EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, is campaigning for a 10 per cent offer while the NASUWT teaching union wants 12 per cent.
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “The reality is that our members are not prepared to accept the sub-inflation 5 per cent that has repeatedly been offered, and only a substantially improved offer from the Scottish government and Cosla can end this dispute.
“Strike action will continue until that improved offer is on the table for our members.”
Teacher strike action ‘will continue’
The NASUWT today announced more strike dates for its members in Scotland, on Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 March. The EIS has already scheduled strike action on those dates, as well as a rolling programme of strikes for 20 days between 13 March and 21 April.
On top of joining the two national strike days, NASUWT members will continue with other forms of industrial action, including refusing to cover for absent colleagues.
NASUWT general secretary Patrick Roach said: “Teachers know they are worth more than yet another real-terms pay cut, and it is beyond time that ministers and Cosla recognised that, too.”
Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official for Scotland, said: “We have been clear to Scottish government and Cosla that with [Consumer Price Index] inflation still at 10.5 per cent - more than double the 5 per cent pay award which most of Scotland’s teachers were offered - a substantially improved pay offer which is fully funded by the Scottish government must be tabled without delay.”
Today’s meeting of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), which comprises teaching unions, the Scottish government and local authority leaders in Cosla, came after first minister Nicola Sturgeon said this week that the government will not “dig its heels in” over teacher pay. She said “compromise on both sides” was needed for a deal to be struck.
Education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville described today’s talks as “constructive”.
“Dialogue remains focused on potential areas for compromise in bringing this dispute to an end - rather than tabling a new offer at this time,” she said.
“The Scottish government values the hard work that our teaching workforce puts in for our learners and we remain absolutely committed to ensuring they receive a fair pay deal.
“Strikes in our schools are in no one’s interest - including for pupils, parents and carers who have already had to deal with significant disruption over the past three years. I continue to urge teaching unions to reconsider current industrial action while talks are ongoing.”
Ms Somerville added: “We hope that these discussions will continue to progress towards a compromise to ensure a sustainable deal for all involved.”
