Teachers have formally rejected the latest pay offer from the Scottish Government and COSLA. 

The decision not to accept what was effectively a 5 per cent hike, was not unexpected. 

Scotland’s largest teaching union, the EIS had been scathing of the offer, made last week less than 48 hours before their first national strike action over pay in 40 years.

They have already announced 16 consecutive days of strike action in the new year. 

Meanwhile, members of the NASUWT and the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association are due to walk out on December 7 and 8.

Last week's pay offer would have seen most teachers offered an increase of either £1,926 or 5%.

The Scottish Government and COSLA said this deal was more "progressive" than previous offers as it targetted those on the lowest salaries, giving them a pay hike equivalent to 6.85%.

Des Morris, Chair of the Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, said for many school staff it was worse than previous offers.

“In rejecting this proposal, we have highlighted the lack of improvement on the previous offer, which was itself rejected unanimously some three months ago.

"In addition to offering no tangible improvement, this proposal is also worse for many experienced teachers in promoted posts compared to the previous offer. 

“This proposal also - quite absurdly given employers’ responsibilities around Fair Work and SNCT conditions of service - suggests that even more demands of teachers could have been made, adding to their already intolerable workloads, had employers chosen to do so. 

“Also a red line is that the proposal offers a differentiated pay increase which is something that teaching unions made clear from the very start would never be acceptable to Scotland’s teachers.”

Mr Morris added, “If the Scottish Government and COSLA are truly serious about reaching a pay settlement with Scotland’s teachers – and halting industrial action in our schools – then they must come back with a much more credible, fair, undifferentiated and substantially improved pay offer for all of Scotland’s teaching professionals.”

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie said teachers could "only be pushed so far."   

He added: “This latest raft of strike action is happening because the SNP have neglected education year after year. Teachers have gone above and beyond, but the Education Secretary has barely lifted a finger.  

“The Scottish Government needs to resolve this dispute as swiftly as possible." 

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “It is very disappointing that the teaching unions have rejected this fair and progressive offer which mirrors the deal accepted by other local government workers.

“Strikes are in no-one’s interest and this offer – the fourth offer which has gone to unions – would have meant a 21.8% cumulative increase in teacher pay since 2018.

“It is simply unaffordable to have a 10% increase which unions are asking for within the fixed budget which the Scottish Government is working in.”