Message from the General Secretary
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Colleagues
With only a short number of days remaining until the end of term and of another incredibly busy academic session for teachers and lecturers, and year packed with campaigning by the EIS nationally and locally, I’d like to wish everyone a happy, restful summer break.
Delivering quality education, whether in Early Years or at University, whether you are just starting out in your career or whether you are a senior leader, is highly demanding of energy and all the more so when there are additional multi-directional pressures, many of which stem from a lack of funding.
You very much deserve a decent summer break!
Over the summer, campaigning continues…
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The workload ballot for school teachers, which is also linked to precarity of employment, will be open with all eligible members strongly encouraged to SU4QE and yourselves, and vote YES to strike and YES to Action Short of Strike.
Work continues on the Fight for the Future of FE and in HE members at UWS will be balloted on strike action against job cuts while member at RGU take a breather from the fight that they’re putting up against the same.
Needless to say, the new academic session will see the EIS address many urgent priorities on behalf of and with members. But first, some well-earned and much-need rest…
In solidarity
Andrea Bradley
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Stand Up for Quality Education Campaign Update: Consultative Ballot on Workload
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At the EIS AGM on Friday 6 June the consultative ballot of EIS members on workload was launched.
On the opening of the ballot, the General Secretary made clear that teachers have been patient in waiting for COSLA and the Scottish Government to move the manifesto commitment on class contact reduction forward. This is only a first step, but a critical step, towards tackling the workload crisis faced by teachers in Scotland.
The impact of unsustainable workload has been laid bare in the recently published Members’ Workload Briefing.
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Despite consistent effort at the SNCT by EIS negotiators, no progress has been made and there has been no commitment made to seek to address workload by allocating the 1 ½ hours from class contact reduction to teachers’ preparation and correction time. (The EIS has produced a podcast looking at why this time must be given to teachers.)
This lack of progress has left the EIS with no choice but to demonstrate to COSLA and the Scottish Government that teachers have run out of patience on this issue, by balloting members on industrial action.
The ballot opened on 6 June and will remain open through the summer until 28 August. EIS members are asked to vote YES to Strike Action and YES to Action Short of Strike Action.
See our briefing on what Action Short of Strike Action looks like.
Vote YES to Strike Action and Action Short of Strike Action.
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At this time of year, you will be looking to finalise your school’s Working Time Agreement (WTA), which is a key tool to manage your workload.
Every school’s WTA should be negotiated between staff and management and signed off by the representative with the most union members, in the vast majority of schools, this will be the EIS Rep.
Your Branch should plan a meeting now (if it has not already done so) to review your WTA, check LNCT guidance and work to limit next year’s workload.
Downloadable resources are available from the EIS website.
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Robert Gordon University & University of the West of Scotland Anti-Redundancy Campaigns
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Lecturers and academic-related staff have been taking industrial action at Robert Gordon University (RGU) to protect jobs at the university.
We have also just issued a strike ballot notice at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) in order to protect jobs.
The EIS is supporting members to stand up to the university management at RGU. Messages of support should be sent via Garry.Ross@eis.org.uk
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If you are in a school that does not currently have an EIS Rep, then please organise as a branch to elect a rep or a group of reps.
If you are a member who is interested in becoming an EIS rep, we have 2025-26 training course dates now available.
To view details, see the EIS website.
And/ or you can contact your Local Association’s Organiser and/or Local Association Secretary to ask them to visit your Branch.
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2024 Annual Benefit Statement: Q&A Session
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Stephen Stewart and Murray McLeod, EIS Pensions and Payroll Specialists are running a Q&A session to answer queries surrounding the 2024 Annual Benefit Statements on Monday the 23rd of June at 4pm. Please sign up to join on our website.
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Stephen Stewart and Murray McLeod, EIS Pensions and Payroll Specialists, will
be holding meetings via Microsoft Teams on the following dates:
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These sessions all cover the same topics so please only register for one of the sessions.
Any enquiry relating to your pension can be sent to pensions@eis.org.uk
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Education (Scotland) Bill
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The Education (Scotland) Bill is scheduled to have its Stage 3 debate prior to the summer recess. The Scottish Parliament will consider in detail amendments to the text of the Bill, as amended at Stage 2.
The EIS will be monitoring the Stage 3 debate to ascertain whether key amendments in relation to the governance of the new national agencies and the independence of the Chief Inspector’s Office will be accepted.
Updates on the progress of the Bill will be given in due course.
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Centre for Teaching Excellence Survey
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The Centre for Teaching Excellence (CfTE) is a new organisation that was announced by Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills in 2023. Its aim is to support teachers to engage with research and enquiry to develop their practice. The Centre is hosted by the University of Glasgow.
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The CfTE is currently running a survey and is keen to hear the views of teachers. We would encourage you to participate so that your voices are represented and shape the future priorities for the CfTE. You can access the survey here.
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Stand Up to Racism Scotland has called a national demonstration, 'Aye Welcome Refugees', to be held in Glasgow on Saturday 21st June 2025, as part of the celebration of the Scottish Refugee Festival and to commemorate World Refugee Day.
The march will be followed by a rally and free, family-friendly music carnival hosted by ‘Love Music, Hate Racism’ in one of Glasgow's most emblematic venues, The Old Fruitmarket in the Merchant City.
Thousands are expected to come out to join the demonstration, which will be assembling at Barrowland Park at 12pm for a short rally, before setting off at 1pm through the city centre towards the Old Fruitmarket for the carnival.
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The EIS is supporting the event, with EIS Ex-President Allan Crosbie speaking at the rally.
More information can be found here.
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