The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association has become the latest teaching union in Scotland to set a date for a statutory ballot of its members over possible strike action.
The SSTA ballot will start on Wednesday of next week [26 October] and close on Wednesday 16 November.
NASUWT Scotland plans to ballot its members from 27 October to 9 January and the EIS teaching union, which represents around 80 per cent of teachers in Scotland, started balloting members last week. That ballot will run until 8 November.
The EIS is advising members to vote in favour of striking. Seamus Searson, the general secretary of the SSTA, meanwhile, has said “the threat of strike action seems to be the only thing [local authorities’ umbrella body] Cosla and Scottish government take seriously”.
Mr Searson said: “All the hard work teachers had done during the pandemic, keeping the education system open, has been forgotten.
“Teachers don’t want to go on strike, but they will to achieve a fair and just settlement. Grown-up negotiations are long overdue on a pay settlement that should have been in place on 1 April this year”.
Teacher pay: Teachers ‘don’t want to go on strike’
Scottish teaching unions are seeking a pay rise of 10 per cent this year but to date the best offer from councils and the Scottish government has been 5 per cent.
Catherine Nicol, SSTA president, said: “Cosla and the government appear to be awaiting strike action before they enter further discussions. No offer has been made since 19 August. Teachers are determined to get a fair deal and are prepared to strike. Closing schools is the only way that Cosla and the Scottish government will be forced to negotiate.
“The SSTA has been committed to reaching a suitable agreement through negotiation but to date Cosla has not been prepared to engage in meaningful negotiations or make an improved offer. Cosla’s approach has necessitated the move towards strike action.”
A Cosla spokesperson said: “Scottish local government values its entire workforce, including teachers.
“The offer being made is one that not only can be afforded with the additional monies being provided, but critically enables councils to protect education services and those other services that support its effective running.
“Along with Scottish government, we are disappointed that the teaching unions have rejected it.
“Accepting the offer of 5 per cent would have meant that teachers received a cumulative pay increase of 21.8 per cent since 2018. For example, a teacher on point 5 of the main grade scale would have seen their annual salary increase from £36,480 at the start of 2018 to £44,454 from 1 April 2022.”
A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Strikes are in no one’s interest - least of all for pupils, parents and carers who have already faced significant disruption over the past three years.
“This government has a strong record of support for teachers and are proud to have the best-paid workforce of anywhere in the UK. It is disappointing that unions have rejected the latest pay offer.
“The cabinet secretary holds regular meetings with all teachers’ unions to discuss a range of issues, including pay. These meetings (including those with the SSTA) have taken place over the last few weeks.
“We are absolutely committed to supporting a fair pay offer for teachers through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, the body that negotiates teachers’ pay and conditions of service.
“It is for local authorities, as the employer, to make a revised pay offer.”
