School and nursery staff in nine Scottish council areas are poised to go on strike for three days next month in a row over pay.
In advice to its members, the EIS teaching union says the “default position” for schools in which support staff are on strike is that they should be closed to both pupils and staff. The union says it supports the industrial action by Unison over pay, adding: “We may shortly be in a similar position ourselves.”
Meanwhile, in a separate development, late on Friday Scottish teachers were offered a 5 per cent pay rise after being offered 3.5 per cent days earlier. The EIS said the offer would be considered by its salaries committee this Thursday but described it as “still less than half the rate of inflation”.
Unison represents workers including school catering staff, cleaners, caretakers, teaching assistants and early years practitioners.
Its members will go on strike on 6, 7 and 8 September, the union said today, after talks with council body Cosla failed to reach an agreement.
Threat of teacher strikes over pay
It is expected that a total of 13,000 Unison members will be involved and that schools, early years centres and nurseries will be disrupted in Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Orkney, North Lanarkshire, Stirling and South Lanarkshire.
Unions say they have been seeking more details about a 5 per cent pay offer for support staff from councils and they are still trying to find a solution.
As for teachers, unions are seeking a 10 per cent rise. However, last week’s 5 per cent proposal is the best offer so far.
Responding to the latest teacher pay offer, NASUWT Scotland said “teachers deserve better”.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of NASUWT, added: “The employers clearly thought they could try to get away with making an insulting offer of 3.5 per cent just a few days ago.
“This latest volte-face from the employers remains an insult and a substantial pay cut for dedicated and hardworking teachers.”
The new EIS general secretary, Andrea Bradley, has said that members will be balloted in October over strike action if an acceptable pay offer is not forthcoming.
