Teachers reject latest pay offer

Renfrewshire teachers say they are “disappointed”by the latest pay offer as they prepare to go on strike later this month.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), which represents the bulk of unionised staff, unanimously turned down the fifth offer from the Scottish Government and Cosla on Wednesday afternoon.

The offer was for a six per cent pay rise this year followed by a 5.5 per cent uplift in the 2023/24 financial year.

The EIS had been demanding an inflation-matching 10 per cent uplift. Yesterday, the Renfrewshire secretary of the EIS Kenny Fella said teachers locally were fully behind the EIS campaign.

He said:“The latest pay offer from the Scottish Government and Cosla is disappointing.

“The additional one per cent on the original five per cent offer for 2022/23 is still well below the CPI inflation figure of 10.1 per cent.

“What is particularly concerning is that this latest offer did not emerge from the recognised negotiating forum, the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), but was announced instead directly to media outlets.

“The EIS is urging the Scottish Government to adhere to the agreed negotiating forum to allow for meaningful discussions to take place to bring the dispute over teacher salaries to a positive conclusion.”

The rejected pay offer means strike action planned on February 28 and March 1 will go ahead.

The nationwide industrial action will see all Renfrewshire schools closed on those dates, while a third strike day is also planned for March.