Created on: 06 Mar 2026
The EIS has issued formal 10-day notice of its intention to call its members to take industrial action over workload.
The industrial action will include national days of strike action, additional days of strike action in key target areas, and an ongoing national programme of Action Short of Strike (ASOS).
The issuing of 10-day notice is a legal requirement, and must be issued before any industrial action can commence. The issuing of notice does not compel the EIS to undertake strike action, but enables it to call its members out should a resolution to the dispute not be achieved within the next 10 days.
Whilst the EIS recognises the progress in negotiations made in the last 24 hours, following this week’s EIS statutory ballot result, a firm agreement from the Scottish Government and COSLA to work together to deliver past promises on teacher workload and jobs, has not been forthcoming.
Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, "In issuing these formal notices of the intent to commence industrial action, the EIS is complying with the legal requirement to give notice of such action.
"This allows us to keep our options open, within the confines of current trade union law, and retain the option to call on our members to take industrial action, should it be required to ensure a resolution to this long-running dispute.
"Some progress has been made in the past 24 hours but so far, we have nothing in writing to reflect the commitment of the Scottish Government and COSLA to deliver on past promises."
Ms Bradley continued, “The EIS remains fully committed to seeking a negotiated solution to this dispute, and will remain available in the coming days and before the closing of this 10-day window for meaningful discussion with the Scottish Government and local authority employers, through COSLA.
"We would urge those other parties to use this window wisely, and to move swiftly to ensure that an agreement can be reached to end this dispute, in the best interests of learners and teachers across Scotland."
Ms Bradley added, “What we need to see from the Scottish Government and COSLA is surety over what they are offering to teachers. "After five years of waiting, and more than a year in dispute, Scotland’s teachers and the EIS will expect to see a firm and binding commitment, in writing and signed by all parties, before we are willing to remove the prospect of industrial action being undertaken in Scotland’s schools.”
Further information on the specific planned dates for industrial action will be issued next week.
Audio Clips
EIS General Secretary, Andrea Bradley, discusses the issuing of formal strike notices.