THE HEAD of Scotland’s biggest teaching union is urging the threat of co-ordinated strike action on the eve of the next Holyrood election to bolster the chances of an improved pay offer.

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), has also warned that his organisation “seeks to exploit every opportunity offered to us” by next year’s Holyrood elections – with public sector unions potentially teaming up in a bid to force the Scottish Government's hand.

The news comes after Education Secretary John Swinney denied that the attainment of school leavers was in decline after new statistics showed qualifications achieved by pupils leaving school have worsened from the previous year.

Writing in the next edition of the Scottish Left Review, Mr Flanagan adds: “Previously, the EIS has moved resolutions at both STUC and TUC congresses calling for public sector union unity and joint campaigning, including potentially coordinating industrial action, on pay claims.

“The run-up to the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections might seem like an opportune time to re-examine options around such an approach. The EIS would be keen to explore support for this from other unions.”

READ MORE: Scottish University lecturers vote to strike over pay row

Last year, EIS members accepted a back-dated 13 per cent pay offer from the Scottish Government over a three-year period – hours before a ballot on strike action was set to go ahead. As part of the deal, teachers will receive a further three per cent increase this year.

Speaking exclusively to The Herald, Mr Flanagan explained the union’s strong hand in threatening strike action and confirmed the EIS would be “seeking to exploit the political focus” in the lead-up to next year’s elections - with discussions to be held with all parties.

He added: “Next year’s elections do give trade unions a bit of leverage. No government wants to go into an election with trade unions agitating on the street over threatening strike action.

“Last time, we got over the line on an improved offer that came 24 hours before a ballot for industrial action started.

“We were using the same arguments we were using 18 months before. The difference was demonstrating that members were significantly agitated to take strike action. You don’t get to a vote for that from a cold start – people have to be convinced that your arguments are right.”

In his article for the Scottish Left Review, Mr Flanagan adds that the EIS is “engaging with political parties ahead of them drawing up their 2021 manifestos” and stresses that “education has become a party-political football”.

Mr Swinney will address teachers and educational leaders today – setting the parameters of a review ordered into curriculum and progress made to reduce the attainment gap.

Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson, Iain Gray, accused Mr Swinney of being “in denial” after he hit back at claims that attainment is in reverse after Mr Gray tabled a question at Holyrood yesterday.

Scottish Government statistics show that the number of pupils leaving schools in Scotland with at least one pass at Level 4, Level 5 and at Highers has declined from 2017-18 to 2018-19.

But Mr Swinney stressed that “attainment is not falling”.

He added: “Young people are acquiring more qualifications today, in terms of the number of young people who are securing one or more passes at SCQF Level 4,5 or 6 than in 2009/10 and in many circumstances before that.

READ MORE: Attainment for Scotland's school leavers has worsened

“That’s the facts of the performance of attainment. Yes, there will be annual volatility – but in comparison to 2009-10, attainment is up.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Beatrice Wishart claimed that the Scottish Government has had plenty of time to make improvements in education.

She said: “Pass rates fluctuate year on year but falls across the board expose the serious challenges facing Scottish education.

“This government has been in power for well over a decade." We urgently need cuts to ASN and support staff reversed, a McCrone 2 to value teachers and reduce their spiralling workload, and a separation of Education Scotland to stop it both setting policy and inspecting it.”

READ MORE: WATCH: John Swinney denies attainment is falling

Tory education spokesperson Jamie Greene added: “This is another damning report showing the SNP government is failing pupils of all ages and abilities.

“It’s a complete disgrace that the attainment gap is growing again in certain areas, especially after all the noise the SNP has made about this issue over the years."