Teaching unions and the Scottish government “remain some distance apart” from agreeing on a pay offer and averting more strikes, education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has said this morning.
Teachers in primary schools, special schools and early years settings have gone on strike today, after talks late yesterday failed to prevent industrial action. More strikes are due to take place tomorrow, this time focused on secondary schools.
Unions are campaigning for a 10 per cent pay offer, but the most recent Scottish government offer amounts to 5 per cent for the majority of teachers and - for probationers - a maximum of 6.85 per cent.
A meeting of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) - which comprises unions, local authorities and the Scottish government - took place on Monday afternoon.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland this morning, Mike Corbett, national official of the NASUWT Scotland teaching union, said that unions and government were still far away from an agreement on pay.
He said the last offer made in November was “dressed up as an improved offer” but did not improve pay for the “vast majority of teachers”.
Mr Corbett added: “There’s still no formal revised offer on the table and that is the reason why our members and others feel they’ve got no alternative but to be out on strike again today and tomorrow.”
Asked whether the union would be prepared to settle for somewhere between what they are being offered and 10 per cent, he said: “I think what would need to happen first of all is there needs to be a properly improved offer tabled and - we are a member-led union - if we get what we deem to be a decent offer then it’s up to our members to decide what they think about it.
“But we’re just not at that stage at the moment, although there are some grounds for optimism - the fact that there have been talks on Friday and Monday and there’s been a little bit of progress made.”
Ms Somerville, also speaking on BBC Radio Scotland this morning, said Monday’s talks were “constructive” but described the teaching unions’ pay demands as “simply unaffordable”.
Asked whether she expected a new offer to be made before the end of the week, Ms Somerville said: “We’ll continue discussions with the unions. I think the challenge that we have is we remain some distance apart on what the Scottish government and local government can afford and can put on the table from the union demand, which is of course a 10 per cent increase in pay.
“If...the 5 per cent had been accepted, you would’ve actually seen teachers have a 21.8 per cent cumulative rise since 2018.
“So we’re trying very hard to have a fair and affordable package on the table but we do remain unfortunately some distance apart.”
She added: “The pay demands we’re having from our trade union colleagues are simply unaffordable for the Scottish government working on a fixed budget, already allocated, also eroded by inflation and that does make it a very difficult and challenging process to come to a conclusion and resolution on.”
Today’s EIS teaching union strike action involves members in primary schools, special schools and early years settings; members of primary school leaders’ body the AHDS and the NASUWT Scotland teaching union are also taking strike action.
Tomorrow the EIS, joined by the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA), will stage further strike action in secondary schools and secondary special schools. NASUWT Scotland union members in secondary schools will also strike tomorrow.
EIS members are also due to begin further strike action on Monday 16 January. This will take place over 16 consecutive days, with teachers in two local authorities walking out each day.
SSTA and NASUWT members went on strike for two days earlier this month while EIS members walked out on 24 November, the first national strike action over teacher pay in Scotland since 1984-85.
The most recent offer, made in November, amounts to a minimum of £1,926 and 5 per cent for most teachers, but 6.85 per cent for probationers. Some higher earners would actually receive less than they were previously offered, with the pay rise for all those currently earning over £60,000 being capped at £3,000.
As the Scottish Parliament resumed following the winter recess, Conservative Stephen Kerr spoke about the SNCT meeting.
He said: “Teachers are on strike for the first time in 40 years, because this SNP government has repeatedly let them down.”
Ms Somerville said the meeting had been “constructive”, adding that she could not give further details while negotiations are ongoing.
Referring to “anti-trade union” legislation being debated at Westminster today, she continued: “I will take no lectures from Mr Kerr or any other Conservative member of this Parliament, saying that we should be doing more to actually settle disputes.”
Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie asked if there would be a new offer for teachers, saying: “The education secretary does seem to be very chilled out and relaxed.”
Ms Somerville said both sides in the dispute would have to compromise in order to reach a resolution, adding: “We will, of course, leave no stone unturned to try and do that as quickly as possible.
“No one wants to see strike action in our schools.”
Striking teachers gathered outside Cosla’s headquarters in Edinburgh, on Tuesday afternoon where EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley accused both it and the Scottish government of “Tory tactics” in trying to weaken the strike action.
She told members of the union that she was confident of a victory in the ongoing dispute, but that employers were “dampening aspirations”.
Ms Bradley said: “The employers’ body knows if teachers are paid more fairly for the work that they do, that will raise the aspirations of other workers too.
“Cosla and the Scottish government, they don’t want that. They want to tie one set of negotiation arrangements to another, doing all that they can to dampen aspirations.
“Overall we have lost 20-25 per cent of the value of our pay since 2008. That’s unfair and that’s unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, the National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) has surveyed parents across all 32 local authorities.
The NPFS said: “Our survey showed that over 80 per cent of parents supported ongoing industrial action. However, it was clear across the full spectrum that there are major concerns about the lasting impact this will continue to have on children and young people across Scotland including children with additional support and complex needs.
“We believe everyone has a right to stand up and empower their voice to be heard. As parent representatives we hope that a positive solution can be found that will minimise any further disruption to children and young people’s learning in Scotland.”
