It’s difficult to keep pace with all those threatening strike action. In fact, it might be easier to list those who haven’t threatened to withdraw their labour.

Despite the multiple inconveniences, I’m generally sympathetic, although I draw the line at barristers. Energy prices, mortgages, below-inflation pay offers and the soaring cost of living are affecting us all.

Teachers for example, have reacted angrily to a 5% pay offer; 91% of EIS members who participated in a recent consultative ballot indicated willingness to strike over pay and conditions. Then again, teachers threatening industrial action is nothing new. Over the last six years or so, they have regularly threatened action over something or other.

This time though, they appear deadly serious, with local authorities and parents having been put on formal notice. A statutory strike ballot of EIS members opened on 12 October and will run until 8 November, the outcome being a foregone conclusion.

Teachers undoubtedly have a case, although it’s problematic whether it’s any stronger than those put forward by nurses, posties and train drivers. On this occasion at least, we are truly in it together. Of course, teaching unions would be daft not to threaten, it’s a valuable negotiating tactic. Given the line of aggrieved workers already in the queue however, and the Government’s declared position, teachers may have to walk the walk this time.

Predictably, the impending walkout has become politicised. The usual suspects have lined up to attack the Scottish Government and the Education Secretary in particular, for failing to head off the impending crisis. Politicians and union leaders have had much to say.

Curiously, the parent voice has been muted on something that will impact significantly on families. Perhaps parents are simply inured to the regular sabre rattling of one or other of the teacher unions. In 2018 however, the then executive director of parent organisation, Connect, responded to threatened strike action by saying strikes “affect parents’ ability to go to work, they interrupt learning and they can put vulnerable children in risky situations”.

It's not up to the likes of me, having long since retreated from the front line, to judge the rights and wrongs of teachers’ claims and proposed action. Teaching is not an easy job and teachers are undoubtedly under pressure. Sure, they’re entitled to a fair wage but then again, so are many other workers, most of whom will also be parents. It will be those parents and their children who will suffer most if the strikes go ahead. Teachers and their unions need to take that into account.

Excuse the history lesson but, in the past, teachers have leant heavily on parental support when engaging in successful industrial action. It was parental support that helped teaching unions come through the 1980s relatively unscathed in the face of Mrs Thatcher’s anti-union offensives. Seemingly impregnable strongholds of unionism like the mines, docks and car factories crumbled in the face of the Tory Government’s onslaught. Those of us who worked in Scottish schools at the time will recall the prolonged period of teacher action. Against all the odds, the teaching unions prevailed and survived that dogmatic onslaught. Much of that was due to the generally unwavering support of parents. Who knows if that level of support is still there?

Around the same time Scottish schools were encouraged to opt out of local authority control, a move fiercely resisted by teachers and their unions. As it turned out, only two schools decided to go it alone. Parents were a major factor in the derisory response, with the vast majority standing shoulder to shoulder with teachers on the issue. The outcome would have been very different had significant numbers of parents favoured opting out.

When casting their votes on industrial action, teachers may well wish to reflect that their greatest successes were achieved only with parental support. That makes it even more surprising that their unions have made so little effort to engage and get parents on board concerning the upcoming action. If we’re being honest, the heaviest weight will fall not on COSLA or the Scottish Government, but on children and their parents, many of whom are already struggling. As with Covid, the impact on the private sector will be minimal. Can a caring profession really shrug and dismiss the weakest and most vulnerable as unfortunate collateral damage?

Our columns are a platform for writers to express their opinions. They do not necessarily represent the views of The Herald.