Created on: 24 Jan 2023 | Last modified: 21 Apr 2023
Colleagues,
It has been a high-energy start to 2023 with strike action taking place from 10th January until now. Thank you for all your efforts as Reps in preparing members in your branches for the strike days, for carrying out picketing duties, and organising and supporting local rallies that have taken place the length and breadth of the country.
You have done an outstanding job of making the Pay Attention campaign visible to the public, the media, and, crucially, the decision-makers who have the power and the resource to end the current dispute – namely the Scottish Government and COSLA.
We are seeing clear signs that the strike action is focusing minds and forcing employers and government back to the negotiating table for meaningful discussions around a sensible way forward to resolve the dispute.
The EIS has been consistently clear that striking is not something that our members wish to do but it is what they are doing and will continue to do, until a genuinely fair and acceptable settlement is reached, for the benefit of teachers and for the benefit of learners, their families and communities.
EIS Reps individually and collectively continue to drive this essential campaign for fair pay for Scotland’s teachers forward, and for this, the EIS is hugely grateful. Onwards!
In solidarity,
Andrea Bradley, General Secretary
Picketing is a key part of strike action and an effective way to build morale, confidence and camaraderie. As we enter a more sustained period of strike action, it is important that picket lines remain strong as a visible demonstration of our commitment to the campaign and our objective of achieving a 10% pay increase for teachers. The following webpage provides some ideas about how schools and Local Associations can make picketing fun and sustain the engagement of members at this critical time.
Action for Reps: Please share the ideas on the webpage with members.
The EIS Council is the principal executive committee of the EIS. It meets around five times a year, usually in Edinburgh and at the AGM. Nomination forms for members interested in standing for election to Council for 2023/2024 will be available from the EIS website.
Action for Reps: Please make members aware of upcoming Council nominations.
Following a resolution passed at the 2022 EIS AGM, we are keen to hear from Home Economics Teachers about their experiences of auxiliary provision at local authority and school level. We are investigating the extent to which Home Economics Teachers undertake administrative and non-teaching duties which are generally undertaken by auxiliary staff, and the impact on workload, teaching and learning when no auxiliary provision is available.
Action for Reps: Please encourage members who are Home Economic Teachers to complete the survey which has been emailed out to them, so that we can capture a true picture of their working conditions. The survey should take no longer than five minutes to complete and closes on Friday 27th January 2023.
Stand up to Racism Scotland 2023 Demonstration - Sat 18th March 2023 (Assemble Glasgow city centre at 11am).
Save the date for this demonstration on Saturday the 18th of March 2023, as part of coordinated international protests around UN Anti-Racism Day. Come along, bring your banners and flags and help make the EIS visible in our stand against racism.
Action for Reps: Please encourage members to attend the demonstration and make their voices heard.
Training is available for all EIS Reps and activists who are thinking of becoming a Rep. The 4-day courses are offered in 2 x 2-day blocks and are aimed at Reps who are relatively new in the role or those who have had no formal union training.
Action for Reps: If you are a Rep, Health and Safety Rep or are a member interested in becoming one, then please visit the Meetings and Events section of the EIS website for all the latest courses, and contact your Local Association/Branch Secretary to be nominated.
The EIS is committed to providing all members with high quality professional learning opportunities that support career-long professional development. Members interested in attending courses, should contact Rob Henthorn or Pauline McColgan EIS Professional Learning Coordinators, to register interest.
Action for Reps: Please display the leaflet enclosed with this bulletin with a full list of upcoming professional learning opportunities in your establishment.
New Probationers - There may be current probationer teacher colleagues who have not joined the union. EIS membership is free for all current probationers until December 2023. After that, probationers can get a further 50% discount on full membership for the following nine months if they update their direct debit details with us by the end of their 18-month free period.
EIS members who joined as students should update their membership details, for example school details, at the start of their probationary year.
Previous Probationers – There may still be teachers in your school who are no longer in their probationary period but did not join at the end of their free membership (ended Dec 2021). Please check and follow up- if they did not set up a direct debit with the EIS, they are not members.
Action for Reps: Encourage current probationer teacher colleagues to join for free online today and speak to your colleagues who were previous probationers about continuing their membership.
If you have new colleagues who are EIS members, they should update their school base or personal contact details on the MyEIS section of the website. Remind them to log on using their EIS number. It is quick and simple to set up a password. Alternatively, as a Rep, you should have access to member lists for your school and you can update details on their behalf.
Action for Reps: Visit www.eis.org.uk/Account/EISLogin to update member details.
If you have an issue that you need help resolving, contact your Local Association Secretary. EIS Local Associations also meet regularly to discuss local issues, and members are welcome to attend and stand for positions on the Local Association’s Committee of Management.
Action for Reps: Visit your Local Association website to discover what meetings and events they are running over the coming months and to get involved.
As the #PayAttention Campaign steps up,this is the ideal time to set up an EIS branch meeting. Your EIS Organiser can support with this by attending and speaking on the Pay Campaign or a specific topic of your choice.
Action for Reps: Visit www.eis.org.uk/Contacts/Organisers