Two more Scottish school strike days announced
Scotland’s largest teaching union has announced two more strike days in a dispute over pay.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said its members in primary schools will strike on 10 January.
This will be followed by strikes at secondary schools on 11 January. All EIS members are already due to strike on Thursday 24 November.
The union said employers had failed to make a new pay offer after a meeting on Thursday afternoon.
Teachers have been offered a 5% pay rise by local authority body Cosla but the teaching trade unions want 10% to reflect rising inflation.
The Scottish government has previously warned there is no more money to fund public sector pay rises.
EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said: “The ball is very much in the court of Cosla and the Scottish government – only an improved and acceptable offer can prevent strike action and an escalation to further action in this dispute”.
She added that the meeting about a new pay deal “seems to have been called simply to make it appear as though talks are progressing”.
The 10 January strike will involve EIS members at primary schools, nurseries and primary-level special schools, with high schools and secondary-level special schools being affected the next day.
This strike will fall when some secondary pupils will be sitting their prelim exams.
Members of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association have also voted to go on strike in the week beginning 5 December.
The Scottish government previously said it was “committed to supporting a fair pay offer” through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers – the body that negotiates pay and conditions of service.
The teachers’ strike comes as health unions are also gearing up for industrial action over the NHS pay offer.
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