Message from the General Secretary
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Dear Colleagues
I hope you had a lovely summer break and are well enough rested at the beginning of this new academic year.
Welcome to all brand new members of the teaching and lecturing profession and/or to new EIS members - we are delighted that you have chosen to join the EIS, to share in the many benefits that we offer as a union; and, hopefully, to help us continue to stand up for quality education in Scotland together, across all sectors.
Our Stand Up for Quality Education campaign has delivered its first powerful action of the year with the result of our consultative ballot on workload. With 83% of members who voted indicating their willingness to take strike action and 92% willing to take action short of strike, tens of thousands of members in the school sector have made it crystal clear to government and employers that they need to deliver on the promises that have been made about reducing workload by reducing class contact time for teachers.
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Thank you to all who voted and who have given more power to the EIS's elbow as we seek a resolution to the workload dispute, and hopefully avoid the need to progress to a postal ballot and take a step closer to industrial action in pursuit of fairer, healthier, more sustainable workloads for teachers at all stages of career.
EIS members in the university sector have also been busy voting in ballots over the summer period - in pursuit of a fair pay rise nationally, and in defence of jobs at the University of the West of Scotland. Another ballot for strike action has just opened for members at Robert Gordon University.
As cuts to education budgets are threatened more and more, our collective strength as a union becomes evermore essential if we are to push back and to demand better for education, and our young people and the teachers, lecturers and other professionals who support them.
As this new academic year commences, the EIS remains determined to support our members, wherever they are working, in the interests of quality education. We know the value of quality education and the educators who provide it, including in the protection and fostering of equality, social justice, peace and democracy, and we remain steadfastly committed to these values amidst these increasingly turbulent times.
In solidarity
Andrea Bradley
EIS General Secretary
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Stand Up for Quality Education Campaign Update: Consultative Ballot on Workload
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Scotland’s teachers have sent a very strong and very clear message to the Scottish Government and local authority employers: deliver on your commitments to tackle teacher workload, or we will move to industrial action.
The workload ballot organised by the EIS displayed strong support for both Action Short of Strike (92% in favour) and strike action (83% in favour), if a long-awaited promise to cut teachers’ class contact time is not delivered in the near future.
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Update on Pay Discussions
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Following the summer break, the EIS Salaries Committee considered COSLA’s pay offer at its meeting of 21st August 2025. The Salaries Committee subsequently unanimously rejected the offer, viewing it is as substandard in the context of rising inflation and noting the unacceptable lack of clarity in the offer’s intimation to the SNCT Teachers’ Side.
The SNCT Teachers’ Panel met on 27th August 2025 and following consideration by all constituent unions the COSLA Pay Offer of 16th June 2025 was formally rejected.
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Robert Gordon University & University of the West of Scotland Anti-Redundancy Campaigns
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Many Scottish Universities are making or are planning to make redundancies. Some members have already been made redundant at Robert Gordon University (RGU).
We have obtained a strike mandate at UWS following the threat of redundancies there. We have been notified that Edinburgh Napier University is also facing potential redundancies.
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Educators #ChallengingPoverty: PACTivism in Practice
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Despite the UK being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, teachers across Scotland continue to see the devastating impact of poverty every day in their classrooms. As Challenge Poverty Week approaches, join the EIS for an empowering event that brings members together to strengthen our collective voice and highlight the crucial role of education in challenging poverty in Scotland.
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The event will highlight some of the inspiring anti-poverty initiatives that EIS PACTivists are leading in their schools and communities. It will also be a space to connect, share ideas, and consider how, as a union and wider teaching profession, we can continue to collectively challenge poverty in Scotland—not only during Challenge Poverty Week, but every day.
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Scotland Demands Better: March & Rally
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The EIS, other trade unions, the STUC, anti-poverty organisations and civic organisations will march in Edinburgh, starting at the Scottish Parliament, on the 25th October as part of the Scotland Demands Better campaign. The campaign “demands better” from all politicians for the people of Scotland.
The EIS is currently making arrangements to join the march.
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Local Associations have been asked to make arrangements to transport members to the march, and we encourage as many EIS members as possible to march on 25th October. More details to follow.
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TIE Teachers' Gathering – 10am-4PM, 8th November 2025
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TIE’s Teachers' Gathering is an annual, free event which provides teachers who are interested in advancing their practice in LGBT Inclusive Education, opportunities to:
- Build confidence in LGBT Inclusive Education resource creation through guidance and discussion
- Share their voices on the continued implementation of this work
- Take inspiration from primary and secondary educational showcases
- Network with other teachers
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Lunch and refreshments will be provided. The Gathering will be followed by a social event featuring entertainment from a special guest.
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2025 Annual Benefit Statement: Q&A Session
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Please ensure that the email address you have registered with your SPPA account is correct, as this is where your 2025 pension statement will be sent. You can check this by logging in here: Login and Registration | SPPA.
We have been informed that it was expected that there would have been a large number of 2025 Annual benefit statements issued from the 31st August. In addition, these will be available via a new online member portal, Engage. We would ask that members keep an eye out for this.
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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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New Staff and Probationers at Your School
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With the start of the new school year, many of you will have new teachers and probationers starting at your school. In welcoming new staff and probationers, please ask them if they are EIS members.
Probationers may have free membership for all teachers’ trade unions, whilst new staff should be encouraged to join the EIS if they are not members of any other trade union.
It’s crucial we speak to as many new teachers as possible about the benefits of joining the EIS and get them actively involved in your branch activities.
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We have released our training programme for workplace reps and health and safety reps online. Training is important both for our reps and for activists who support reps in our branches or who are thinking of becoming reps in the future.
If you are an activist who wishes to upskill, please check out our training programme.
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