The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has insisted that planned industrial action among its staff will have “no impact” on students’ coursework, exams or grades.
The union Unite has said that industrial action over pay by 400 of its members at the qualifications body could have a “major impact” on exams, but the SQA accused it of “scaremongering” and has previously stressed that a majority of its 1,100 staff are not Unite members.
Unite announced plans today to hold two 24-hour strikes on Friday 23 and Thursday 29 February. The industrial action, backed in a ballot in November, will also include an overtime ban, a ban on weekend working and a ban on accruing time off in lieu, beginning on 16 February and lasting until 10 May.
The 2024 SQA exams start on Monday 22 April and finish on Thursday 30 May.
A Unite spokesperson said this afternoon: ”Unite believes the industrial action will have a major impact on the SQA’s ability to prepare for the student exam season.
“Specifically, the industrial action will impact the following key areas: disruption to the external verification process, which will have an impact on the quality assurance and awarding of qualifications; disruption to coursework marking for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher national courses.”
The union’s members work in all grades and job roles at the SQA, including administrators, managers and researchers.
SQA staff to strike over pay
The pay dispute centres on the SQA’s two-year pay offer for 2023 and 2024. Unite said that for most staff the SQA’s offer equates to 5.75 per cent in 2023 and 3.15 per cent in 2024.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s SQA members are being forced by senior management to take industrial action.
“The pay offer on the table represents a brutal pay [real-terms] cut and it’s totally unacceptable.”
The union also said it has specific concerns about the plan to replace the SQA with a new body as part of wide-ranging education reforms, and the “lack of assurances” over job roles and locations, pay and conditions.
Regarding the planned industrial action, an SQA spokesperson said: “This is nothing more than scaremongering by Unite. We have robust contingency plans in place and we can reassure learners that there will be no impact on their coursework, exams or grades.
“We made an increased pay offer that fairly recognises the valuable work of our SQA colleagues. It represents a total average increase of 7.43 per cent in year one and a further total average rise of 5.19 per cent in year two, including pay progression.
“It is the best offer possible which is affordable and within the limits of the public sector pay strategy.”
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