THE threat of industrial action over pay in Scottish schools appears to have receded after a new deal between teachers’ leaders and councils.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teaching union had threatened strikes earlier this year after talks on pay with local authority officials failed to reach agreement.
Teachers had been offered a two year deal of 2.5 per cent backdated to April this year and linked to a number of commitments on maintaining teacher numbers and addressing workload concerns.
However, the EIS rejected the offer arguing the commitment on teacher numbers was only for one year and that there was no commitment to restore cuts to pay for supply staff - which has led to shortages.
The new offer from council umbrella body Cosla will still see teachers receive a 1.5 per cent increase from April this year with an additional one per cent uplift from April next year.
However, Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS, said improved pledges on the retention of teacher numbers in schools had made the difference.
He said: “Clearly, the pay element of this offer is disappointing and falls short of EIS aspirations. The continued austerity measures of the UK government have created a situation where an offer of 2.5 per cent over two years is the most that Cosla was prepared to offer.
“However, the non-pay elements of the offer, including a commitment to address supply teaching issues, an agreed set of principles and action on managing teacher workload and, crucially, a separate commitment from the Scottish Government on maintaining teacher numbers in year two of the deal, offer more positive developments.”
The EIS will now put the deal to its members for approval in a ballot, with the possibility of industrial action still on the table if it is rejected.
Seamus Searson, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association, said the offer was likely to be accepted “reluctantly”.
He said: “Teachers have been getting Curriculum for Excellence into classrooms over the last eight years and throughout this time they have seen the real value of their salaries reduced.
“Teachers have toiled to introduce a new range of curriculum materials and qualifications, yet attainment levels are rising. It is disappointing the value of teachers is not properly recognised.”
Billy Hendry, a spokesman for Cosla, said: “It has been a long and protracted negotiation on the different elements of the teachers’ pay and conditions claim, but we got there in the end.
“I am delighted that we have reached an agreement and that the teachers unions will make a recommendation to accept the Cosla pay offer.
“We value each and every member of the local government workforce, no less so our teachers who are doing a great job delivering high quality education to children and young people across the length and breadth of Scotland.”
The deal on teacher numbers is particularly important for the EIS because numbers have been eroding since the SNP came to power in 2007.
Councils were expected to retain teachers to reduce class sizes, but instead reduced numbers in line with falling primary school rolls. The pledge to look at supply teacher pay is also crucial given recent shortages.
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