Created on: 02 Feb 2026
The EIS has opened a new statutory industrial action ballot over teacher workload.
The ballot, which runs until the 4th of March, is asking teachers to vote for or against Strike action and/or Action Short of Strike (ASOS) over excessive teacher workload.
As a result of current UK trade union law, the ballot is by post only. All eligible EIS members will receive a yellow voting pack by post over the next few days, and are being urged by the union to take part in the democratic process, cast their vote and return their ballot papers as soon as possible.
Commenting on the opening of the ballot, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, "The most important message that we are sending to EIS members today is to look out for the yellow voting pack coming through their post boxes over the next few days.
"Once members receive their ballot pack, we encourage them to cast their vote as quickly as possible to ensure that their vote is counted and that their voice and the voice of every eligible EIS member is heard in this democratic process.
"As a result of current UK trade union law, this is a postal ballot only with no option to vote online or in person.
"Every EIS member who is eligible to vote should do so without delay, so that their vote is recorded on this key issue and each and every member entitled to vote is playing their part in our democracy and in this important campaign."
Ms Bradley continued, "Teachers have been waiting five long years for the Scottish Government and local authorities to deliver promised actions to reduce teacher workload and to create more jobs for qualified teachers.
"Prior to the last Scottish election, in 2021, the current Scottish Government pledged to reduce excessive teacher workload by recruiting 3,500 additional teachers and reducing teachers’ maximum class contact commitment to 21 hours per week.
"None of these commitments have been met. This ballot is an important opportunity, especially as we approach the next election, for teachers to hold the politicians to account, and to compel them to act on delivering their promises to Scotland’s teachers and Scottish education."
Ms Bradley added, "We are precisely one day short of a full year since, in the face of growing discontent by teachers, the Scottish Government and COSLA were due to deliver a firm set of proposals on the delivery of the promises made to teachers.
"364 days later, we are still waiting for that firm set of proposals to emerge. The barely-baked miscellany of proposals from the Scottish Government and COSLA’s attempts at sabotage of the Scottish Government’s manifesto commitment should be an embarrassment to both.
"It is time to call national and local politicians out on their joint failure to deliver, with a resounding ballot result from Scotland’s teachers.”
Ms Bradley concluded by saying, "While the EIS Executive is recommending to members that they vote Yes to both strike action and ASOS, the most important thing is that members have their say and use their vote.
"No matter if they are voting Yes or No to industrial action, Scotland’s teachers deserve to have their voices heard on the issue of workload. Democracy is an essential part of our society, and trade union democracy is an important element of that."