TEACHERS have overwhelmingly accepted the latest offer on pay lifting the threat of a wave of strikes.

Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) voted to accept the 13.5% pay increase in a ballot which closed at noon.

The EIS will now cancel a planned ballot on industrial action after the result which saw 98% of members accept the new deal.

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS, said: “The campaign has been a significant success and has now secured an improved proposal that will increase teachers’ pay by at least 10% by this April, compared to current salary scales.

"Our members have given their overwhelming backing to this proposal, so the EIS will now move to formally conclude an agreement.”

Read more: Scottish Government finds extra cash for teacher pay

The proposal from the Scottish Government offers a three-year pay settlement of 3% from April 2018, 7% from April 2019, and 3% from April 2020, for a compounded total increase of 13.51% over three years.

Mr Flanagan added: "It also includes additional commitments aimed at tackling workload, supporting teacher professional development leadership.

"The package is good news for Scotland’s teaching professionals and for Scottish education, and it has been achieved by the unity and determination of EIS members."

John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister and Education Secretary, welcomed the decision.

He said: "This is a positive outcome and reflects the partnership approach we want to take with local government and the professional associations, providing certainty on pay, a shared agenda on addressing workload, additional support for learning and empowering schools."

Read more: How much more will Scottish teachers earn?

Council umbrella body Cosla, as employers, will now decide on Friday whether to make a formal pay offer.

Mr Swinney added: "The Scottish Government will support a revised offer which takes industrial action on pay off the table and sets our shared agenda for the next two years.”

Iain Gray, Scottish Labour's education spokesman, welcomed the move, but said negotiatoins should never have reached this stage.

He said: "Far from treating teachers as a priority, John Swinney has arrogantly wasted nearly two years on a dispute that could have been avoided had he simply listened to the workforce in the first place.

"Issues of teachers’ workload and bureaucracy remain to be addressed and he must turn his attention to that urgently."

A spokesman for Cosla said: "As the employers of teachers council leaders will consider this matter at a meeting on Friday.”