Created on: 15 Dec 2025
Our workload ballot continues to put pressure on the Scottish Government and COSLA to deliver the SNP Manifesto promise to reduce weekly class contact and increase preparation & correction time for all teachers.
The Scottish Government and COSLA agreed in principle in December 2024 to implement the promise, but words have not turned into actions.
We, the EIS, are conscious that this may well be the first experience of an industrial dispute, statutory (postal) ballot and potential industrial action for many of our probationer members.
Accordingly, some probationers may have questions about the dispute and how it affects you.
To provide you with reassurance and clarity, we have compiled answers below to some of the most immediate questions that probationers are likely to have.
Our workload ballot continues to put pressure on the Scottish Government and COSLA to deliver the SNP Manifesto promise to reduce weekly class contact and increase preparation & correction time for all teachers.
Q1. Why should I Yes vote for ASOS and strike action? Why should I take part?
As a probationer, you already have fewer weekly class contact hours than your longer-serving colleagues.
It is recognised that this reduction assists probationers, giving them more time for preparation & correction. We want all teachers to have fewer weekly class contact hours and increased preparation & correction time.
By this stage in your teaching journey, you will have seen just how challenging the profession has become. On average, teachers are working an additional 11.5 hours a week unpaid just to complete the most basic aspects of the job, indicating just how unsustainable workload pressures have become.
To ensure the profession you are entering is one you can stay in long-term it is vital that we win the investment in workload reduction that the Scottish Government has promised and failed to deliver.
Importantly, this means the funding of new teaching posts across Scotland, enhancing you and your
Q2. I’ve received a ballot paper - should I vote?
In short, as a probationer, you are a teacher and an employee of your local authority (aka Council) in a workload dispute that will affect the number of hours a week you teach in future years - and you should vote in this ballot.
Q3. I’ve not received a ballot paper – what should I do?
Please contact ballot@eis.org.uk with your name, date of birth and school.
It is important for every member to vote in this ballot.
Q4. What needs to happen before industrial action?
The ballot must cross statutory thresholds – in essence, more that 50% of members need to vote, with a majority supporting strike action. There is also another threshold, that requires 40% of teachers to support industrial action.
Then, the EIS will obtain an “industrial action mandate”. The Scottish Government will be offered an opportunity to resolve the dispute or face industrial action.
Q5. Can I participate in strike action as a probationer?
Yes, you can! As a paid employee of the local authority, you are entitled to withdraw your labour as part of industrial action.
Q6. If I participate in industrial action, will it affect my full registration?
No, you cannot fail probation for participating in industrial action as part of a lawful dispute. This includes both action short of strike (ASOS) and strike action itself.
Q7. What do I do if striking would mean I cannot fulfil my required hours due to previous absence?
If this affects you, please contact your LA Secretary. In the unlikely event of sustained strike action, you will be given exemptions by the EIS not to take strike action if it affects your required hours.
Q8. Does participation in strike action mean I lose wages?
Yes, you will lose wages if you take part in strike action. Understandably, some members' financial positions may be more precarious than others, and if you are worried about experiencing hardship as a result of strike action, place contact your LA Secretary for support to access the Hardship and/or Benevolent Fund.
Q9. What should I do if I feel pressured to vote a particular way?
Please contact your local rep or your LA Secretary. The EIS is recommending that our members vote yes to ASOS and strike action, but it is vital that you ultimately decide how you wish to vote in the ballot.
We hope the above information proves useful, and we encourage you to share it with your peers to ensure they are aware of it too. If you have any questions that are not answered by this email, we encourage you to contact the EIS and we will be happy to help, at either ballot@eis.org.uk or one of our Organisers.
Remember, the ballot closes on January 14th, but please return your ballot at your earliest possible convenience, preferably before the holidays begin.
If you cannot find the time to do so, please post the ballot paper no later than the 11th of January in the provided pre-paid envelope, or we cannot guarantee it will be counted.
You will receive emails and text messages asking you to click a hyperlink if you have participated; please do this once your ballot has been sent, as it allows us to track our progress towards the legal threshold.