A pay offer aimed at averting teaching strikes in Scotland later this week has been blasted as "nothing less than an abject insult" as school staff carry on preparations to walk out on Thursday.
The Scottish Government made a new offer to the EIS (Educational Institute of Scotland) and SSTA (Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association) unions on Tuesday in a bid to prevent industrial action, with the former set to strike this week.
Hours after the deal was put to education unions, NASUWT said its members had backed industrial action in their battle for higher pay.
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Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville urged union leaders to postpone action to consider the offer, but it was unanimously rejected by the EIS. General secretary Andrea Bradley decribed the offer as "nothing less than an abject insult to Scotland's hard-working teaching professionals".
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"Teachers overwhelmingly rejected a 5% offer more than three months ago and now, after months of prevarication and weeks of empty promises, Cosla and the Scottish Government come back with an offer that is worth that same 5% to the vast majority of teachers," said Ms Bradley.
"This is not, as the Scottish Government claims, a progressive offer - it is a divisive offer, made on a differentiated basis, which is actually worse for many teachers in promoted posts."
Under the proposals, teachers earning less than £40,107 will receive an increase of £1,926 per year, 6.85% for those on the lowest salaries, while those earning more will receive a 5% increase and those earning more than £60,000 will receive a £3,000 boost.
An SSTA spokesman also described the offers as "very disappointing".
He said: "The unions have been led down the garden path by Cosla and the Scottish government and tell us they care about teachers and value their commitment over the last few years."
"This offer will not go down well with teachers and I would expect the planned strikes to go ahead. Maybe they will listen to parents and children as they are not listening to teachers."
NASUWT also said its members backed industrial action, with a ballot winning 92% support a strike and 96% backing action short on strike. The turnout was almost 64%.
Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official in Scotland, said: "They are sick of being expected to put up with declining wages while working ever harder to meet the increasing challenges being faced in our schools.
"They are facing increasing financial hardship with more teachers having to cut back on basic necessities."
NASUWT members are expected to strike on December 7 and 8 and take action short of strike from December 9.
When she announced the pay offer, Ms Sommerville described it as a "fair offer which recognises that the cost-of-living crisis is the priority, with higher increases for staff on lower salaries".
"This is now the fourth offer that has been made. In the same time, EIS have not changed their request for a 10% pay increase - even for those on the highest incomes.
"I have been clear that we have limited room for manoeuvre.
"The financial situation for the Scottish Government is challenging and additional money for teacher pay means reduced public services elsewhere.
"In these challenging times it is important we focus our attention on those who are most impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, as well as ensuring fairness to all public sector workers."
Katie Hagmann, Cosla resources spokeswoman, said the new offer is "fair, affordable and recognises that the cost-of-living crisis is the priority".
But Ms Bradley said it is neither "an improved, realistic, progressive or generous offer" and her members will see it as a "kick in the teeth from their employers and the Scottish Government".
"Our programme of strike action, which will commence as scheduled on Thursday, will clearly show the strength of feeling of Scotland's teachers who will be out in numbers and with strong voice on picket lines and at regional rallies," she said.
The new offer, and its rejection, came after the Education Secretary told MSPs any increase in pay is "unaffordable".
Addressing a question in Holyrood from Scottish Tory education spokesman Stephen Kerr, Ms Somerville said: "The UK Government made clear in the autumn statement that there is no additional support for public sector pay. Not one penny.
"So I'm afraid the 10% pay claim that is coming from the teacher unions is unaffordable to the Scottish Government.
"Any extra money for pay deals will have to be found elsewhere within an already contained Scottish Government budget."
The Tory MSP told the Education Secretary: "Teachers have been let down by an SNP Government too slow to come to the table and take decisive action to resolve the pay disputes."
He branded the Education Secretary's earlier statement an "embarrassment to Scotland".
Mr Kerr said: "To have a Cabinet Secretary, in an area which is fully devolved like education, blame the UK Government... it is beyond pathetic."
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