Created on: 22 Nov 2022 | Last modified: 20 Apr 2023
The EIS condemned the Scottish Government and COSLA for presenting a revised pay offer to teachers that offers no tangible improvement on their previously rejected offers.
Following three months of delay, and the promise of an improved offer to teachers, the offer that was presented today provides no additional money and is, for many teachers, a worse offer than those previously rejected by teacher unions.
A special meeting of the EIS Salaries Committee, held online this afternoon, has unanimously rejected the offer. As a result of this immediate rejection of the offer, strike action scheduled to begin on Thursday will go ahead.
Commenting this afternoon, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, "This offer is nothing less than an abject insult to Scotland’s hard-working teaching professionals. Teachers overwhelmingly rejected a 5% offer more than 3 months ago and now, after months of prevarication and weeks of empty promises, COSLA and the Scottish Government come back with an offer than is worth that same 5% to the vast majority of teachers.
"This is not, as the Scottish Government claims, a progressive offer – it is a divisive offer, made on a differentiated basis, which is actually worse for many teachers in promoted posts."
Ms Bradley added, "Contrary to the claims made by the Cabinet Secretary in Parliament and in Scottish Government spin today, this is not an improved, realistic, progressive or generous offer. Our members will see this offer for exactly what it is – a kick in the teeth from their employers and the Scottish Government.
"This afternoon’s Salaries Committee expressed outrage at this offer, and that outrage is sure to be replicated in staffrooms across Scotland today and tomorrow. Our programme of strike action, which will commence as scheduled on Thursday, will clearly show the strength of feeling of Scotland’s teachers who will be out in numbers and with strong voice on picket lines and at regional rallies."
Ms Bradley also corrected a false statement made by Cabinet Secretary Shirley Anne Somerville in the Scottish Parliament today, who repeatedly claimed that four offers had been made to teachers prior to today: "We have received, and rejected, three previous offers from COSLA and the Scottish Government before today: for 2%; 3.5% and 5%.
"Today’s offer, which is the fourth, is really no new offer at all, but a reheating of the previously rejected offer. Today’s offer includes no additional money, and is a sign of the contempt with which COSLA and the Scottish Government clearly view Scotland’s teaching professionals."