Edinburgh teachers are set for further strike action after a teaching union announced an extra 22 days of industrial action.
This will be on top of the previously announced 16-day programme of rolling strike action, set to begin in schools across the country next week. As a deal was not met in the latest round of talks this week, Edinburgh schools will close on Wednesday January 25.
After a meeting on Friday (January 13), the EIS Executive Committee agreed on a programme of additional strike action that will include two days of national strike action in all schools and sectors on February 28 and March 1. This will be followed by a rolling programme of strikes for 20 days between 13 March and 21 April.
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Over the rolling strike period, each local authority area will be impacted by three consecutive days of strike action, with one day of strike action in all schools bookended on either side by one-day strikes in primary and secondary schools.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) members have previously taken three days of national strike action – one in November and two in January as the dispute over wages continues.
Commenting following the meeting of EIS Executive Committee, General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, "The programme of additional strike action, agreed today, is a direct response to the inaction of the Scottish Government and COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) on teacher pay.
"After a year of dither, delay and disingenuity from the Scottish Government and COSLA, Scotland’s teachers have simply had enough."
Ms Bradley added, "The recent days of strike action by Scotland's teachers have succeeded in bringing COSLA and the Scottish Government back to the negotiating table – but they have yet to put a single extra penny onto that table.
"Scotland's teachers rejected a sub-inflationary five per cent offer six months ago, and little or no progress has been made in negotiations since. The prospect of 22 additional days of strike action, on top of the 16 days of rolling action set to begin next week, should signal clearly to the Scottish Government and COSLA that they must now act with urgency.
"Our members are resolute and determined to secure a fair pay settlement, which both properly reflects their value and also takes account of the soaring cost of living."
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