Tue, 17 January 2023
A teachers' union is pressing on with rolling strikes amid a dispute over pay.
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union began 16 days of industrial action on Monday.
Teachers are also protesting to air their concerns.
The demonstrations, which will be held in two of Scotland's 32 local authority areas each day until 6 February, kicked off in Glasgow and East Lothian before moving to Perth and Kinross and North Ayrshire on Tuesday.
The EIS has also planned a further 22 days of protests, starting at the end of February.
It comes as the leader of a headteachers' union in England has warned school leaders may have "no choice" but to close their doors to pupils during strikes.
Andrea Bradley, EIS general secretary, told Sky News earlier she was "very surprised" the strike action had "got this far".
The union stated there is a "continuing strong turnout" on picket lines and at campaign rallies.
An EIS spokesperson claimed that there had been no further talks scheduled with the Scottish government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to settle the dispute.
However in a statement to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said she had spoken to the general secretaries of the teaching unions over the past few days, with more talks set to continue this week.
As a compromise is sought, the MSP called on the unions to suspend their industrial action in the meantime.
The EIS's Ms Bradley said: "This 16-day programme of strike action is another clear message to the Scottish government and COSLA that they must improve their pay offer to Scotland's teachers.
"EIS members have already taken three days of national strike action across Scotland, and this escalation of strike action is a direct consequence of the failure of the Scottish government and COSLA to negotiate a fair pay offer to Scotland's teaching professionals."
The dispute has been ongoing since February last year.
Unions have rejected a pay offer which would see most teachers receive a 5% wage rise, although the lowest earners would get an increase of 6.85%.
The Scottish government has previously insisted the 10% rise teachers are demanding is unaffordable.
In her statement to Holyrood, Education Secretary Ms Somerville said: "As I've said before, the teachers' strikes are in no-one's interest, including pupils, parents and carers who have faced significant disruption over the past three years.
"Talks will continue over this week and we will continue to focus on areas of compromise."
Mon, 16 January 2023
A union chief has said she is "very surprised" industrial action has "got this far" amid a fresh wave of rolling strikes by teachers across Scotland.
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union began 16 days of strike action in a dispute over pay on Monday. Teachers in two of Scotland's 32 local authority areas will protest each day until 6 February.
The first two councils affected are Glasgow, where all schools are closed, and East Lothian, where they are shut to all pupils apart from those sitting preliminary exams.
The EIS has also planned a further 22 days of industrial action, starting at the end of February.
Andrea Bradley, EIS general secretary, said the walkouts were a "last resort" and urged the Scottish government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to do more to resolve the dispute.
Speaking to Sky News in Glasgow, Ms Bradley said: "We very much hope that we will be able to settle it.
"We very much hoped that we wouldn't have had to take one day of strike action, and we had urged the Scottish government and COSLA to do all that they could to resource a settlement before we got to 24 November, which was the first day of strike action. And we have been doing the same ever since that day."
EIS members have previously taken three days of strike action, one in November and two in January, while members of other teaching unions also walked out on those days in January and on two dates in December.
Ms Bradley added: "We actually are very surprised that it has got this far... that in a country where education is said to be such a priority, a number one priority of the government, we are now entering the third day of strike action by the largest teachers' union in the country."
Union admits impacts of strikes on children
The pay dispute has been ongoing since February last year.
Unions have rejected a pay offer which would see most teachers receive a 5% wage rise, although the lowest earners would get an increase of 6.85%.
The Scottish government has previously insisted the 10% rise teachers are demanding is unaffordable.
Read more:\
Striking teachers deliver message to parents
Explained - how strikes unfolded in the past and what they achieved
Ms Bradley said there has been months of discussion around the negotiating table before it "got to this point".
She added: "We understand that this is disruptive for students, it's disruptive for those who are preparing to take exams in the spring term.
"It's disruptive for our youngest learners also. It's particularly disruptive in light of the experiences that those children have had over the course of the pandemic.
"This is not where teachers would wish to be. These teachers behind me would rather not be on this picket line, they would rather be in classrooms working with children and young people.
"But as I said, this strike action today is part of a last resort. A last resort to get the Scottish government and COSLA to pay serious attention to the needs of teachers."
'Disappointing' strikes in 'no one's interest'
Councillor Katie Hagmann, COSLA spokesperson for resources, said: "COSLA leaders are clear that given the financial pressures being faced it remains the case that the 10% ask of the trade unions remains unaffordable and therefore we still remain a distance apart in terms of a settlement."
Scotland's Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville added: "It is disappointing that the EIS has proceeded to escalate industrial action - we are continuing to urge teaching unions to reconsider their plans while talks are ongoing.
"Recent discussions have been constructive. There has been a shared understanding that talks have been focused on discussing potential areas for compromise - not on tabling a new offer at this stage.
"To date, we have made four offers, all of which have been rejected, but we remain absolutely committed to reaching an agreement on a pay deal that is fair and sustainable for all concerned."
Maxine McArthur
Mon, 16 January 2023
TEACHERS gathered at demonstrations across Glasgow as schools closed for yet another day of strike action.
Staff have walked out the classroom for the third time this month in an ongoing dispute with the Scottish Government and COSLA for better wages.
Demonstrations are taking place across the city, with unions insisting the 5% increase currently being offered doesn't begin to cover rising inflation.
Instead, staff are hoping to see around 10% added to their pay packets.
Glasgow Times:
READ MORE: Teachers blast Nicola Sturgeon amid Glasgow school strikes
Hundreds gathered outside Glasgow City Council headquarters in protest where the crowd sang that they were "overworked and underpaid" adding that the 5% offer was "too low and too late".
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union are beginning 16 days of rolling strike action on Monday, with teachers in two of Scotland's 32 local authority areas walking out each day until February 6.
The NASUWT union is also taking part in the industrial action.
The action is going ahead after talks on Thursday involving the Scottish Government, local authority leaders and teaching unions failed to resolve the issue.
Glasgow Times:
READ MORE: Glasgow teacher 'strapped child to chair' at Southside Linburn Academy
Scotland's education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has insisted the 10% teachers are demanding is unaffordable.
The EIS on Friday announced a further 22 days of strike action, starting at the end of February, in an escalation of the dispute.
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said she hoped to get back around the negotiating table later this week.
Glasgow Times:
After talks on Thursday failed to resolve the issue, Councillor Katie Hagmann, Cosla resources spokesperson, said: "Cosla leaders are clear that given the financial pressures being faced it remains the case that the 10% ask of the trade unions remains unaffordable and therefore we still remain a distance apart in terms of a settlement."
Teachers urged not to strike to avoid
‘damage’ to children’s education
Teachers should not strike and inflict “substantial damage” to children’s education, Downing Street has urged.
The plea comes as the results of ballots for strikes by two teaching unions are due to be announced.
One of the leaders of the largest education unions in the UK, the National Education Union (NEU), has said she believes the group will have reached the threshold required for strike action.
Both the NEU and school leaders’ union NAHT are set to announce on Monday whether there is enough support for walkouts in England and Wales.
Ahead of the strike ballot results, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We would continue to call on teachers not to strike given we know what substantial damage was caused to children’s education during the pandemic and it’s certainly not something we want to see repeated.
“We would hope they would continue to discuss with us their concerns rather than withdraw education from children.”
Last week, a ballot of members of the NASUWT teachers’ union failed to reach the 50% turnout threshold, although nine in 10 of those who did vote backed strikes.
But Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, believes their union will reach the threshold.
She told Sky News on Monday: “From our own internal polling, I think that we will meet the threshold but I can’t be sure.”
Dr Bousted added that it would be “highly unlikely” that strike action would take place during the exam period.
The NEU will have to give two weeks’ notice of any industrial action.
Speaking to the PA news agency last week, Dr Bousted said the strike days were likely to be in “February and March” if the ballot was successful.
The wave of industrial action which has swept across the country for months will continue this week.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) across England will walk out on Wednesday and Thursday and the union has warned that if progress is not made in negotiations by the end of January the next set of strikes will include all eligible members in England for the first time.
The Government continues to insist that pay claims are unaffordable and is sticking to its belief that wage rises should be decided by pay review bodies.
GMB leaders will also meet on Monday to decide whether to call more strikes among their ambulance members because of the lack of progress in talks.
Any decision is likely to be announced later in the week.
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