School strikes off as teachers accept deal
Three days of Renfrewshire school closures have been avoided as teachers have agreed to accept the latest pay offer.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) yesterday confirmed 90 per cent of teachers who returned a vote agreed to the proposed uplift in wages.
The Scottish Government and COSLA last week outlined a threestep pay offer which included a seven per cent increase for this financial year, a five per cent increase from April 2023 and a further two per cent from January 2024.
Their decision to accept the offer means planned strikes scheduled between March 21 and March 31 have been avoided in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire.
Had they proceeded it would have closed all Renfrewshire schools on March 21, primary schools on March 20 and secondary schools on March 22.
Kenny Fella, joint secretary of EIS Renfrewshire, told the Express the recent industrial action showed the strength of feeling amongst teachers.
He said: “EIS members have made a clear decision that the pay offer from the Scottish Government and COSLA is the best that could be achieved in the present economic climate.
“The 82 per cent turnout in the ballot demonstrates the strength of the EIS and this strength was further demonstrated through the unity and solidarity of the industrial action campaign.”
The EIS represents over 80 per cent of Scotland’s teachers at all grades and in all sectors of education.
It had, with other teacher unions, been demanding a 10 per cent pay rise for the 2022/23 financial year - a hike dubbed unaffordable by Scottish ministers.
But EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said the new package represented a 14.6 per cent increase in pay for most teachers by January 2024.
She said: “Turnout in the ballot was high, confirming that Scotland’s teachers believe that it is now time to accept the offer and bring an end to the programme of industrial action in our schools. EIS members have taken a pragmatic decision in voting to accept the current pay offer.
“While it does not meet our aspirations in respect of a restorative pay settlement for Scotland’s teachers, it is the best deal that can realistically be achieved in the current political and financial climate without further prolonged industrial action.
“It compares favourably with recent pay settlements across the public sector, and does provide pay certainty for Scotland’s teachers for the next 16 months until the next pay settlement is scheduled to be delivered in August 2024.”
Ms Bradley added: “It is deeply regrettable that it took a sustained industrial dispute, and the first programme of national strike action on pay by teachers in forty years, for the Scottish Government and COSLA to finally come up with an acceptable pay offer for Scotland’s hard-working teaching professionals.”
Scotland’s teachers believe that is is now time to accept the offer and end the industrial action