Peter Lazenby
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SCHOOLS in Scotland are being hit by two days of disruption as 50,000 teachers and school heads strike over pay.
Primary schools were closed today and secondary schools will be shut tomorrow as members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA), National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) and the Association of Head Teachers and Deputies in Scotland (AHDS) took strike action.
The teachers have rejected a 5 per cent pay increase proposed by the Scottish government and are asking for a 10 per cent increase.
The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), which brings together teaching unions, government and local authorities, met on Monday but no improved proposal was forthcoming.
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “It is disappointing, though not surprising, that no new offer was presented, despite some positive progress in discussions.
“The union side remains willing to talk, at any time, with a view to reaching a resolution to this dispute.”
She said that although the strikes went ahead “we hope that fresh talks may take place later this week to advance discussions towards an improved offer.”
But she said that only “a significantly improved offer” from the Scottish government and local authorities could end the dispute.
NASUWT Scotland national official Mike Corbett said: “There’s still no formal revised offer on the table and that is the reason why our members and others feel they’ve got no alternative but to be out on strike again.”
SSTA and NASUWT members staged two days of strike action in December, while EIS members walked out for 24 hours on November 24.
Scotland’s Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The pay demands we’re having from our trade union colleagues are simply unaffordable for the Scottish government working on a fixed budget, already allocated, also eroded by inflation and that does make it a very difficult and challenging process to come to a conclusion and resolution on.
“We’ll continue discussions with the unions. I think the challenge that we have is we remain some distance apart on what the Scottish government and local government can afford and can put on the table from the union demand which is of course a 10 per cent increase in pay.”
