SCOTTISH teachers have overwhelmingly voted to strike over pay in a ballot organised by the country’s largest teaching union.
Following the ballot’s closure on Tuesday, The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has announced that 96% of votes were in favour of a strike on a turnout of 71%.
The union had previously rejected a 5% pay rise that was offered three months ago.
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said the result provided the organisation with “an extremely strong mandate for strike action over pay” and that members had sent “a very clear message to local authorities and the Scottish Government”.
She added: “Our members should have received a pay increase in April but, after months of unjustifiable dither and delay from COSLA and the Scottish Government, we are still waiting for an acceptable offer to be made. Quite frankly, our members have had enough of waiting and enough of feeling the financial strain of the cost of living on top of the significant stress of their teaching jobs.”
Bradley went on to say that strike action is “always the last resort” but that members have “become increasingly angry over their treatment by employers”.
She continued: “The last pay offer, a sub-inflation 5%, was rejected by Scotland’s teachers almost three months ago. Since then, there has been no new offer made, despite a strong desire on the part of teachers for a fair deal to be struck.
“In the current context – with the cost of living soaring, and prices of food and fuel, housing and heating continuing to climb ever higher – our members are neither willing nor able to accept a deep real-terms cut to their pay.
"COSLA and the Scottish Government really must now pay attention to Scotland’s teachers and they must come back with a greatly improved pay offer if strike action starting this month is to be avoided.”
And now a special meeting of the EIS executive committee will be held on Thursday to agree on the next steps to be taken, including an initial programme of industrial action in schools.
Commenting on the announcement, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the Government and local authorities "value the teaching workforce".
She added: "We recognise the vital importance of reaching a fair and affordable resolution on pay, both for the workforce during a cost-of-living crisis and for the pupils and parents who rely on the vital services our teaching workforce delivers.
“We are absolutely committed to working together to support a fair pay offer for teachers through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, and to avoiding unnecessary strike action and the disruption that would cause.
“Strikes in our schools are in no one’s interest – least of all for pupils, parents and carers who have already faced significant disruption over the past three years.”
Scottish Tory shadow education secretary Stephen Kerr said that blame for the strike "lies squarely with Shirley-Anne Somerville".
He added: “The threat of strike action has been looming for months yet the Education Secretary failed to get round the table and ensure a solution was found.
“Pupils missing yet more classroom time is the last thing they need after the disruption they had to endure during the pandemic."
