The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Secondaries to be hit by latest strike
Secondary schools in Tayside and Fife will be hit by another teacher strike next week. Industrial action by the NASUWT Scotland and SSTA teaching unions will affect Fife, Dundee, Angus, Perth and Kinross next Thursday.
The strikes are not expected to lead to complete closure of many schools as did the EIS action last week because the SSTA and NASUWT have fewer members.
However, Perth and Kinross Council has confirmed most schools will be closed to pupils in S1-S4.
A council spokesman said: “All secondary schools except Pitlochry High will be closed to pupils in S1-S4 on Thursday December 8 because of industrial action. Pitlochry High, all ELC settings and primary schools will open as normal that day.”
Closure of some Scottish secondary schools on December 8 had already been confirmed but councils in Dundee, Angus and Fife have yet to say how theirs will be affected. The NASUWT and SSTA want a 10% pay rise for all teachers, instead of a deal aimed at boosting the pay of lower-paid staff.
The latest offer would have seen a rise of between 5% and 6.85% for teachers but it has been rejected by the unions.
However, some schools have started running prelim exams and these may be affected by next week’s action.
Fife Council’s head of education and children’s services, Shelagh Mclean, said: “We’ll be in touch with parents soon confirming whether there is any impact on their school(s) on that day.
“We’re working with our schools and communities to make sure any disruption is kept to a minimum.”
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “We are monitoring the situation and will announce arrangements for secondary schools as soon as is possible.”
The city’s Kingspark School will remain open.
Angus Council said it will confirm details of how many secondary schools will be affected early next week. All primary schools, early learning and childcare centres and school-based nurseries will be open as usual.
Des Morris, chairman of the teachers’ panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), said all of Scotland’s teaching unions are united in rejecting the “wholly unacceptable and divisive offer”.
Mike Corbett, NASUWT Scotland national official, added: “The scale of industrial action being planned is unprecedented.
“We hope it will make ministers and employers sit up and recognise they must offer a significantly improved pay offer which addresses the cost of living.”
Councillor Katie Hagmann, Cosla’s resources spokeswoman, said in an effort to prevent strikes, a revised fourth offer was made to the unions that did include additional money.
She described the unions’ response as “disappointing”.