Scotland’s largest teaching union has hit out at councils and the Scottish government over the latest teacher pay offer, saying the proposed 3.5 per cent rise is “profoundly disappointing” and likely to be seen by members as “insulting”.
The revised offer was made today but the EIS has already said it is likely to be rejected, and that members will soon be balloted on their willingness to take industrial action in pursuit of a fair pay settlement.
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “The revised 3.5 per cent offer to teachers made today by [local authorities’ body] Cosla is profoundly disappointing and likely to be seen by our members as insulting. Teachers deserve to be paid fairly for the vital work that they do, but are again being offered a deep real-terms pay cut.
“With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to worsen, and with inflation now at over 10 per cent and still rising, it is simply unjust that teachers as essential public sector workers would be expected to bear the brunt of this.”
She added: “Cosla and the Scottish government must commit to delivering a fair pay deal for Scotland’s teachers - one that is much improved from this current offer. The EIS has written to members today to update them on this paltry offer, and to outline the next steps to be taken in pursuit of a fair pay settlement.”
Des Morris - EIS salaries convener and chair of the teachers’ side of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), which consists of the unions, councils and Scottish government - described the offer as “weak” and hit out at the length of time it had taken to make it.
He said: “More than four months after teachers should have received their pay rise for this year, our employers are still dragging their feet and offering up a pitiful pay increase that falls far below the current rate of inflation. Next week’s meeting of the salaries committee will formally consider this offer but, as convener, I will be strongly advising that we reject this unacceptable offer and request that EIS executive authorise a consultative ballot of members to gauge their willingness to take industrial action on pay.”
NASUWT teaching union general secretary Patrick Roach said: “The employers’ proposal to impose a cap of 3.5 per cent on the teachers’ pay award is derisory and completely unacceptable at a time when inflation has already soared to 10.1 per cent and is expected to rise further to above 13 per cent in the next few months.
“Teachers have waited patiently for today’s belated pay offer. For Cosla and the Scottish government to dither, delay and now return with such a grossly insulting pay offer will only increase the anger and frustration that our members are feeling.”
Dr Roach added: “Teachers did not create the cost-of-living crisis and they should not be expected to foot the bill for it.”
Previously, Cosla had offered Scottish teachers a 2 per cent rise this year.
In an interview with Tes Scotland earlier this month, Andrea Bradley said that if no satisfactory pay offer was put forward by councils, the union would seek to ballot its members over strike action in October.
The Department for Education in England has said it will award experienced teachers a 5 per cent pay rise from September 2022, but this falls far short of the “fully funded, inflation-plus pay increase” demanded by teaching unions.
