Created on: 05 Dec 2025
Members of the EIS at Craigclowan School near Perth will take further strike action in opposition to the school’s use of fire and rehire to force staff out of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) and into a worse scheme that will cost less for the school.
The strike follows a ballot in which a majority of EIS members voted for industrial action.
The School is looking to cut costs in order to keep pupil fees down. The School has not passed on the entire VAT and inflationary costs onto pupil fees in recent times.
The School has tried to pressure and persuade staff to give up their STPS pension, and enter into an inferior direct contribution pension scheme. When that failed, the School issued ‘fire and rehire’ letters. As a last resort, staff are taking strike action to defend their pensions.
The EIS has repeatedly invited Craigclowan School management to engage in meaningful discussions to resolve the dispute. The EIS understands that the School has advised parents that it is engaging with the EIS.
To date, the School has not entered into any negotiations with the EIS. After the first day of strike action, the School stated that it "will not negotiate directly with the EIS" to resolve the dispute. The School does not recognise trade unions.
Craigclowan School is seeking to isolate staff from their trade union and put pressure on them to stop campaigning against the pension cuts.
Commenting, Andrea Bradley, EIS General Secretary said: “These two days of strike action are a necessary and principled stand by Craigclowan teachers, who are facing the removal of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme and its replacement with what is believed to be the lowest-value pension provision for teachers anywhere in Scotland.
"Members have shown unity and courage, and the EIS will stand with them on the picket lines and support them throughout this dispute in their campaign for a decent and secure pension."
EIS Area Officer Dan Thompson added, "Fire and rehire is a despicable practice that has no place in Scottish education. Craigclowan teachers are being compelled to give up the pension security of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme and accept a far inferior alternative, while other defined benefit pension arrangements would seem to be continuing elsewhere in the Glenalmond Group of schools.
"This cuts against the values of fairness, respect and integrity that should underpin every workplace. The EIS stands firmly with our members and urges Craigclowan to enter negotiations without delay."
Craigclowan School is part of the Glenalmond Group. Within that group, the EIS understands that some senior staff are in the Independent Schools Pension Scheme (ISPS), which, like the STPS, provides a defined benefit pension.
However, unlike the STPS scheme, the ISPS scheme has a substantial deficit requiring significant annual deficit recovery payments from every participating employer. In fact, the 2024 Glenalmond College accounts show that the school is required to pay over £107,000 per annum to this deficit, on top of the employer contributions.
The EIS has asked for confirmation of these arrangements from the School, but it has not responded.
Whilst the senior management staff in the Glenalmond Group appear to be well paid, the teachers of Craigclowan School are paid less than teachers in the state school sector, for example the state primary school just down the road.