Scottish teachers in ‘overwhelming’ vote for strike action in row over workload

Union leaders have hailed an “overwhelming” vote in favour of strike action by Scotland’s teachers as part of a dispute over workload.

A ballot of members of the EIS trade union – Scotland’s largest teaching union – saw 85% back strike action, on a turnout of 60%.

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said the union’s executive committee would meet on Thursday to discuss the next steps.

But it is possible that any strike action could hit schools when senior secondary school students sit exams in April and May – and during the upcoming Holyrood election campaign.

Ms Bradley however said the “overwhelming ballot result” had given the union “a very clear mandate for industrial action by teachers over excessive workload”.

The result comes at the second time of balloting members, with a previous vote winning a majority for strike action, but falling short of turnout required under UK laws for any industrial action to go ahead.

Ms Bradley said however that for “five long years, teachers have been waiting for manifesto promises, made by the current Scottish Government prior to the last Holyrood election, on tackling teacher workload to come to fruition”.

She added: “With no real sign of delivery of those promises on reducing excessive teacher workload by recruiting 3,500 additional teachers while tackling teacher unemployment and zero-hours contracts, and reducing teachers’ maximum class contact time to 21 hours per week, teachers’ patience is clearly now at an end.”

Ms Bradley stated: “We are long past the time when these promises made to Scotland’s teachers should have been kept, honoured and delivered by the Scottish Government and local authority employers.

“They have previously jointly pledged to deliver these important commitments, but have since done little to ensure long-awaited improvements to the working conditions of teachers and the associated learning conditions of pupils.”

The EIS general secretary said she hoped the ballot result would “finally propel” both the Scottish Government and local government body Cosla “into action” and would result in “serious negotiation to bring the dispute to an end after more than a year.”

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP said: “What clearer demonstration of SNP dysfunction could there be than school strikes during the forthcoming election campaign?

“All teachers ever get from the SNP are warm words and lots of promises.”

Cosla resources spokesman Councillor Ricky Bell stated: “Industrial action is in nobody’s interests, and we urge unions to work with Cosla and Scottish Government to find a solution all parties can agree rather that threaten to disrupt education at this crucial time of year.”

He stated: “Cosla remains committed to constructive engagement with the Scottish Government and teaching unions through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) on the implementation of the ministerial commitment to reduce class contact time.”

However he said that “concerns about the financial and practical implications of this policy remain”, insisting that reducing class contact time “cannot be delivered without full funding and a clear understanding of its impact on children and young people”.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “While we respect union members’ right to withdraw their labour, I am deeply disappointed that the EIS have taken this action while constructive discussions are already ongoing to reduce class contact time, improve maternity pay and deliver a four-day teaching week pilot.

“No one’s interests will be served by industrial action in our schools.

“This will disrupt children and young people’s learning – particularly in the crucial period leading up to exams – as well as parents, carers and school communities.

“I am fully committed to continuing discussions until we reach an agreed position on how to free up teachers’ time and improve wellbeing, and I urge the unions to continue working with us so we can avoid this unnecessary and damaging industrial action. Our focus must remain on what matters most: improving educational outcomes for our children.”