Glasgow teachers walk out as strike action continues
TEACHERS gathered at demonstrations across Glasgow as schools closed for yet another day of strike action. Staff walked out the classroom yesterday for the third time this month in an ongoing dispute with the Scottish Government and COSLA for better wages.
Demonstrations took place across the city, with unions insisting the 5% increase currently being offered doesn’t begin to cover rising inflation.
Instead, staff are hoping to see around 10% added to their pay packets.
Hundreds gathered outside Glasgow City Council headquarters in protest where the crowd sang that they were “overworked and underpaid” underpaid adding that the 5% offer was “too low and too late”.
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland ( EIS) union began beginning 16 days of rolling strike action yesterday, with teachers in two of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas walking out each day until February 6.
The NASUWT union is also taking part in the industrial action.
The action is going ahead after talks on Thursday involving the Scottish Government, local authority leaders and teaching unions failed to resolve the issue.
Scotland’s education secretary Shirley- Anne Somerville has insisted the 10% teachers te are demanding is i unaffordable. ff dbl Th The EIS on Friday announced a further 22 days of strike action, starting at the end of February, in an escalation of the dispute.
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said she hoped to get back around the negotiating table later this week.
After talks on Thursday failed to resolve the issue, councillor Katie Hagmann, Cosla resources spokesperson, said: “Cosla leaders are clear that given the financial pressures being faced it remains the case that the 10% ask of the trade unions remains unaffordable and therefore we still remain a distance apart in terms of a settlement.”