EDUCATION Secretary John Swinney has intervened in the row over teachers’ pay by proposing a 12% multi-year rise, in a bid to avert a classroom strike.
The largest teaching union yesterday gave its approval to open a statutory ballot over the pay dispute, with notice of the action being issued to local authority employers.
However, Swinney yesterday backed a revision to the rejected offer which he hopes will be accepted this month and end the standoff.
His move is the latest development in the long-running saga over the failure to reach a deal on teachers’ pay this year. Salaries are determined by a tripartite body including the Government, council representatives and unions.
The current offer, tabled the local authorities, would give teachers earning up to £80,000 a 3% rise in three consecutive years.
A second strand includes an overhaul of the pay scale which, if accepted, could add another 2% to the salaries of some teachers this year.
However, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), which represents teachers, rejected the offer and is moving towards a strike ballot.
Swinney has now suggested a change to the pay scale element that would result in a 3% uplift from this month. The package is now believed to be worth 12% over fifteen months.
As an offer can only be made by council umbrella group COSLA, it is understood Swinney’s proposal will be discussed at the next tripartite meeting.
Swinney said yesterday: “I made this proposal to the EIS on Thursday. It is an enhanced offer and I will ask COSLA to agree this and to formally offer it to unions after 25 January. I believe this must be put to teachers for their consideration.
“I welcome the agreement by EIS to allow further time to reach an agreement. Industrial action is in no one’s interests not least our children and young people. That has been my focus and will continue to be until this resolved.
“I welcome the move by EIS to allow further time to reach an agreement. Industrial action is in no one’s interests not least our children and young people. That has been my focus and will continue to be until this is resolved.”
Swinney’s suggestion came as a specially convened meeting of the EIS Council gave the green light to strike action.
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: "EIS Council has today approved the opening of a statutory strike ballot over pay.
"We have been negotiating for a year, on a pay claim that was due to be settled last April. Teachers' patience is now exhausted.
"Our preference has always been to agree a fair deal through negotiation, but we have been very clear, also, that we are prepared to take strike action should this be necessary to achieve an acceptable settlement.
"Ballot papers will be issued later this month. Clearly, once the actual ballot is under way, negotiations are suspended but prior to that we remain prepared to consider any improved pay offer. No offer has been forthcoming from our local authority employers, however.”
Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer said: "Teachers are overworked, under-resourced and have suffered a 20% real terms pay cut. They will continue to have Green support in their campaign for fair pay."
A COSLA spokesperson said: “We remain in talks. It is in nobody’s interest to see industrial action.”
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