Teachers in Scotland have voted overwhelming to reject the latest pay offer from Scotland’s local authorities and the Scottish Government, in a ballot which closed on 31st January 2022.
In the ballot, organised by the EIS, 98% of the teachers who voted rejected the offer, sending a strong message to COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) and the Scottish Government that they must return to the bargaining table with an improved offer.
Des Morris, EIS Salaries Convener, said, “Scotland’s teachers have sent a very strong and very clear message with this ballot result. This overwhelming rejection of the current offer by EIS members is a warning to COSLA and the Scottish Government that they cannot take the goodwill of teachers for granted.”
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan added, “Scotland’s teachers deserve a fair pay rise from their employers and the Scottish Government. With this ballot result, our members have shown, very clearly, that they consider the current offer neither fair nor acceptable.
“Throughout the continuing Covid crisis, Scotland’s teachers have worked flat out to seek to minimise the damaging impact of the pandemic on young people’s education. Teachers are key to the planned programme of educational recovery and deserve to be appropriately remunerated for their efforts. It is time for COSLA and the Scottish Government to play fair and finally commit to a reasonable and fair pay rise for Scotland’s teaching professionals.”
The pay increase which is currently being negotiated was due to be paid in April 2021, so is now 10 months overdue. Pay negotiations for the current year, 2022, should have commenced before Christmas but have not yet started as a result of continued feet-dragging from COSLA and the Scottish Government over last year’s, still unsettled, pay claim.