Teachers vote to strike over pay

Teachers in Scotland have voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay.

Teaching union the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) on Thursday announced the results of its statutory ballot on the issue, with 96% voting in favour of strike action on a turnout of 71%.

The union balloted members after they rejected a “wholly inadequate” 5% pay offer.

It said that its members are neither willing nor able to accept a “deep real-terms cut to their pay” amid the cost-of-living crisis.

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “This ballot result provides the EIS with an extremely strong mandate for strike action over pay.

“Our members have sent yet another very clear message to their employers in Scottish local authorities and to the Scottish Government that they must do better on teachers’ pay.

“Our members should have received a pay increase in April but, after months of unjustifiable dither and delay from Cosla and the Scottish Government, we are still waiting for an acceptable offer to be made.

“Quite frankly, our members have had enough of waiting and enough of feeling the financial strain of the cost of living on top of the significant stress of their teaching jobs.”

She added: “A move to strike action is always a last resort, but our members have become increasingly angry over their treatment by their employers and by the Scottish Government.

“The last pay offer, a sub-inflation 5%, was rejected by Scotland’s teachers almost three months ago. Since then, there has been no new offer made, despite a strong desire on the part of teachers for a fair deal to be struck.”

Ms Bradley said that with the cost of living soaring and prices of food and fuel, housing and heating continuing to climb ever higher, EIS members are “neither willing nor able to accept a deep real-terms cut to their pay”.

A special meeting of the EIS executive committee will be held on Thursday afternoon to agree the next steps to be taken in the EIS pay campaign, including an initial programme of industrial action in schools.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Scottish Government and Scottish local government value the teaching workforce.

“We recognise the vital importance of reaching a fair and affordable resolution on pay, both for the workforce during a cost-of-living crisis, and for the pupils and parents who rely on the vital services our teaching workforce deliver.

“We are absolutely committed to working together to support a fair pay offer for teachers through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers and to avoiding unnecessary strike action and the disruption that would cause.

“Strikes in our schools 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.”

Scottish Conservative education spokesman Stephen Kerr said Ms Somerville has been “missing in action”.

He said: “The threat of strike action has been looming for months yet the Education Secretary failed to get round the table and ensure a solution was found.

“Pupils missing yet more classroom time is the last thing they need after the disruption they had to endure during the pandemic.”

Scottish Labour education spokesman Michael Marra said: “No-one wants strikes in schools, but pupils and teachers alike are being failed by the SNP’s catastrophic lack of leadership.

“The Education Secretary needs to get round the table with a fair deal for teachers and for schools before strike chaos hits.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman Willie Rennie said: “For two years pupils have had their education disrupted by Covid.

“It’s absolutely unforgiveable that on top of that the Scottish Government are allowing their education to be further disrupted by strike action.”