Teachers to be balloted on industrial action over class contact time

Members of the NASUWT union are set to be balloted on industrial action over class contact time.

The union accused the Scottish Government of failing to meet the SNP manifesto commitment ahead of the 2021 election of reducing contact time by one-and-a-half hours per week.

Announcing the move, NASUWT national official for Scotland Mike Corbett said teachers are “arguably worse off in terms of workload” than before the last election.

“The commitment on class contact time was a recognition by the Scottish Government that additional time away from the classroom was necessary to give teachers sufficient time and space to plan, prepare and assess pupils’ work in order to help students achieve their best and raise attainment.

“Since 2024 we’ve had agreements to work ‘at pace’ and the establishment of working groups by the Scottish Government and Cosla to make meaningful progress on class contact time reduction.

“But the reality is that teachers today are arguably worse off in terms of their workloads and working hours than they were in 2021 when this commitment was first made.

“A reduction in class contact time is as needed now, if not more so, than in 2021.

“It is regrettable that we have been forced to declare a trade dispute and move to a ballot in order to try to force the Government to give teachers the working conditions it itself acknowledges they require to do the job effectively.”

The union’s general secretary Matt Wrack said it had “exhausted all avenues” to reduce contact time, adding: “Where ministers and employers continue to fail our teachers, we will stand up for their right to working conditions which would enable them to deliver the highest quality of learning for our children and young people.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ministers have been clear that reducing class contact will help support the time and space necessary for teachers, to allow them to drive improvement and reform in our schools and improve outcomes for their pupils.

“We are committed to working with teaching unions and Cosla to agree our approach to delivering a reduction in class contact time at pace.

“That is why we are providing local authorities with increased funding of £186.5 million to restore teacher numbers – this additional funding was agreed to by local government on the understanding that they make ‘meaningful progress’ with reducing class contact.

“Ministers respect union members’ right to withdraw their labour, but are disappointed that the NASUWT has taken this action while these constructive discussions are ongoing.”