Created on: 05 Jun 2025
The EIS opens a consultative industrial action ballot over teacher workload.
The ballot will be launched on Friday afternoon by General Secretary Andrea Bradley during her keynote address to the EIS Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Aviemore.
The ballot has been prompted by the failure, on the part of the Scottish Government and COSLA, to deliver a 2021 SNP Manifesto commitment to reduce teachers’ class contact time.
Commenting on the launch of the ballot, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “In launching this ballot today, the EIS is reminding the Scottish Government and COSLA of the pressing need to deliver the 2021 Manifesto commitment to reduce teachers’ class contact time as a means to reduce excessive teacher workload.
"Teachers have waited more than four years for this promise to be delivered, while workload pressures on teachers continue to soar. This is having a detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of teachers, with significant consequences for the learning experience of pupils in our schools.”
Ms Bradley continued, “Our recent Workload Briefing, based on a survey of teachers across Scotland, laid bare the scale of the workload demands that are being placed on teachers, with almost half of all teachers working the equivalent of an extra day per week to keep on top of workload, and one teacher in ten working two days extra per week, unpaid, due to excessive workload pressures.
"With class sizes still high, and with the huge rise in the number of young people with Additional Support Needs, reducing teacher class contact time is one tangible step that could start to alleviate the pressure on teachers.
"But, having made a commitment to reduce class contact time by 1.5 hours per week, the Scottish Government and COSLA have failed even to produce any firm proposals on how to take this forward.”
Ms Bradley added, “This ballot is an opportunity for our members to send a clear message to their employers and the Scottish Government of the need to honour the commitments to tackle excessive teacher workload by reducing weekly class contact time and affording this reduction to teachers to carry out the tasks associated with the planning and preparation of learning and assessment.
"Voting is simple in this online ballot, and I would encourage every member to use their vote and to vote Yes to strike action and Yes to action short of strike. Only sending a strong and clear message will compel the Scottish Government and COSLA to finally take action to tackle teacher workload."