Thousands of pupils miss school as teachers strikeon December 7, 2022 at 6:24 am

Thousands of pupils across Scotland will have another unscheduled day off school as teachers take more strike action.

Members of the SSTA and NASUWT unions are walking out in their ongoing pay dispute on Wednesday and Thursday.

It follows the EIS strike which saw almost all schools close on 24 November and the rejection of the latest pay offer of a maximum 6.85%.

The Scottish government said the unions’ demands were “not affordable”.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said it was very disappointing that the fourth offer put to the unions had been rejected.

On Wednesday, industrial action is taking place in: Argyll and Bute; Dumfries and Galloway; East Ayrshire; East Dunbartonshire; East Renfrewshire; Eilean Siar; City of Glasgow; Highland; Inverclyde; North Ayrshire; North Lanarkshire; Orkney; Renfrewshire; Shetland; South Ayrshire; South Lanarkshire; West Dunbartonshire.

The local authorities affected on Thursday are: City of Aberdeen; Angus; Aberdeenshire; Clackmannanshire; Dundee City; City of Edinburgh; East Lothian; Falkirk; Fife; Midlothian; Moray; Perth and Kinross; Scottish Borders; Stirling; West Lothian.

Disruption is expected in most areas through either partial or full closures of schools.

Although mainly limited to secondary schools, some primaries are affected. About a third of councils said they expected “significant” disruption.

With prelim exams taking place in many schools, older pupils are being prioritised and younger pupils are being given the day off.

The latest pay offer from the Scottish government was formally rejected last Wednesday.

Unions were offered a rise of between 5% and 6.85% but the EIS is asking for 10%.

On Tuesday the NASUWT said it was seeking a fully funded rise of 12% for 2022/23.

It said that a typical teacher in Scotland is almost £50,000 worse off as a result of their pay failing to keep pace with inflation since 2010, a loss they say will be further compounded by the current below-inflation pay offer.

The union also confirmed that following this week’s strikes, members would begin a programme of ongoing action, including a refusal to cover for absent colleagues and attendance at only one meeting per week outside pupil sessions.

Dr Patrick Roach, the union’s general secretary, said: “This is first time members in Scotland have taken national strike action in over a decade.

“The fact it has come to this is a reflection of the depth of anger and frustration they feel at being continually told by ministers and Cosla that there is no more money to increase their pay, while their workloads spiral and the expectations on them mount.

“They are sick of warm words telling them how much they are valued, while their pay dwindles each year in real terms.

“Talk is cheap but actions matter and they are tired of being taken for granted and expected to work harder and harder for less and less money.”

Seamus Searson, the SSTA’s general secretary, said employers Cosla had not contacted the union since 22 November to avert the strikes.

He said teachers were striking to send a hard message that teachers demand to be respected and receive a professional salary that will retain staff.

“Hopefully, the employers and the Scottish government will understand that all teacher unions in Scotland are united in seeking a fair and reasonable pay settlement and there needs to be a willingness to solve the pay dispute,” he said.

“The latest offer was quickly rejected by the teacher unions and was deliberately divisive and inadequate. This apparent show of contempt to teachers by this offer has hardened the resolve of members and forced the SSTA to take the strongest form of action”.

Mr Searson apologised to pupils and parents and said the teachers would rather be in school teaching.

He added that the SSTA was always willing to meet at any time with the employers and Scottish government to find a resolution.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Strike action is in no-one’s interest, least of all learners, parents and carers. We remain committed to a fair, sustainable settlement for Scotland’s teachers and will continue to engage teaching unions and Cosla constructively.

“It is very disappointing that the teaching unions have rejected the latest offer – the fourth which has been put to unions – which mirrors the deal accepted by other local government workers.

“The request for a 10% increase for all teachers – even the highest paid – is not affordable within the Scottish government’s fixed budget.

“While councils are responsible for managing the impact of industrial action, I expect schools to remain open wherever possible, so that disruption can be minimised. Any closures would follow risk assessments made in individual areas.”

The pay offer made by employers before the EIS strike a fortnight ago has not been improved or amended.

So is this dispute now deadlocked? Or will a new offer be made in time to avert the next wave of strikes after Christmas?

The Scottish government has made it clear that a bigger pay rise would mean tougher cuts and savings elsewhere.

The other potential difficulty is that teachers – who are employed by councils – could end up with a bigger pay rise than other local authority staff, including those on significantly lower salaries.

The council unions would almost certainly consider this when they submit their next pay claim.

But the spectre of regular school strikes is something nobody wants.

The teachers’ unions will have noted how an improved pay offer was made to NHS staff amid the threat of strikes.

Solving industrial disputes usually involves compromising. It is rare for one side to get everything it wants. But one side usually has to blink first.

Meanwhile the EIS has said its members should not cover for striking colleagues in the two other unions.

It said: “The EIS position is that no member should engage in any duty which is normally carried out by members of another union who are on strike action.

“We are aware that some local authorities are attempting to exert pressure on teachers to provide cover, but the EIS believes that it is unreasonable for our members to be instructed to strike break for colleagues of another trade union carrying out official industrial action in a common dispute.

“The EIS will offer its full support to any member who is subjected to this type of intimidation by their employer.”

More strikes have already been announced.

The EIS says its members in primary school members will take part in a national strike on 10 January, while those in secondary schools will walk out the following day.

Sixteen additional days of strikes in January and February have also been announced by the union.

Will you be affected by the strike action? Are you a senior student, a parent or a teacher involved in the dispute? If you would be willing to discuss its impact on you, fill in the form below and we could be in touch.

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