Scotland's largest teaching union has recommended members accept a new pay offer.

Teaching unions put in a pay claim for a 6.5% rise in January, and unanimously rejected a 2% rise from August 2024 with a further 1% in May 2025.

A new offer was tabled by COSLA on Monday after teaching unions had set a noon deadline to avoid a formal dispute being declared.

The offer comprises a 4.27% rise backdated to 1 August and which covers the 2024-25 pay year, to the end of July 2025, and the EIS has recommended that its members accept.

EIS salaries convener Des Morris said: “A special meeting of the EIS Salaries Committee was held this morning, following receipt of the improved offer yesterday. Following discussion, the members of the Salaries Committee agreed unanimously to recommend acceptance of this offer to members.


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"Accordingly, the EIS will now take this position into discussions with our sister trade unions at the SNCT Teachers’ Panel on Wednesday. We will also open a consultative ballot of our members tomorrow, with a recommendation that they should vote to accept the improved 4.27% pay offer from employers.”

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “The collective view of the Salaries Committee is that the current offer proposes a pay increase for teachers that is above both CPI and RPI rates of inflation and, crucially, marks a first step in the restoration of teachers’ pay to the equivalent of pre-austerity levels.

"The offer is also undifferentiated, offering a 4.27% pay increase for teachers at all grades and at all scale points. It is for all of these reasons that the EIS has agreed to recommend acceptance of the offer.

"EIS members should look out in their email inboxes on Wednesday for their digital ballot papers arriving. The EIS Salaries Committee is very clear that, while their view is that this is the best offer that can be achieved through negotiation and that members should vote to accept, it is ultimately for Scotland’s teachers to decide.

"I would urge every EIS member eligible to vote to use their vote in this ballot, and to make their views heard before the ballot closes next week.”

COSLA Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Katie Hagmann, said: "Following a meeting of council Leaders on Friday 30th August, COSLA has made a significantly improved formal pay offer for teaching staff to the SNCT Teachers' Panel.

"The offer is for a 4.27% increase at all pay points effective from 1st August 2024, and covering the SNCT pay year 2024-25 (August 2024 - July 2025).

"This offer is at the absolute limit of affordability in the extremely challenging financial context, fully utilising all the funding local authorities have at their disposal and incorporating additional funding from the Scottish Government.

"We hope that the Teachers' Panel will provide their respective members with the opportunity to consider this credible offer, which reflects the high value Leaders place on Scotland's teachers and their vital work educating and supporting our children and young people."