Created on: 23 Oct 2025 | Last modified: 31 Oct 2025
Q1. Why are we being balloted?
Q2. Why is this a postal ballot?
Q4. When should I receive my ballot paper?
Q5. What should I do if I haven’t received my ballot paper?
Q6. What is the closing date of the ballot?
Q7. What is the deadline for posting my ballot paper?
Q8. I’ve misplaced my ballot paper; how do I request another copy?
Q10. If I vote yes will we have to take industrial action?
Q11. Who is eligible to vote in this ballot?
Q12. How do I check my membership details are up to date?
Q1. Why are we being balloted?
The EIS has long campaigned to reduce teachers' workload. Part of this campaign is our aim to move to a 20 hour teaching week with a class size maximum of 20 pupils. In 2021, the SNP was elected to government on a manifesto to reduce workload by reducing weekly class contact by 1.5 hours – from 22.5 hours to 21.0 hours per week.
We have been campaigning to realise the SNP’s manifesto promise since 2021, and we have failed to make meaningful progress at the SNCT and thus lodged a dispute. As a last resort, we are pursuing our SNCT dispute with industrial action in order to persuade the Scottish Government and COSLA to implement the promised reduction in weekly class contact.
Q2. Why is this a postal ballot?
This ballot facilitates members to take lawful industrial action, i.e. it is a statutory ballot. By law, it needs to be carried out by post and administered by an independent scrutineer.
No. The law states that statutory ballots must be postal ballots. The postal ballots are sent to the independent scrutineer company that administers the ballot.
Q4. When should I receive my ballot paper?
Ballot papers will be posted first class on the day that the ballot opens. You are likely to receive your ballot paper on the 15th or 16th of November.
Q5. What should I do if I haven’t received my ballot paper?
If you have not received a ballot paper at your home address by 20th November then you should email ballot@eis.org.uk with your name and membership number (if possible).
Q6. What is the closing date of the ballot?
The ballot opens on 12 November 2025 and closes on 14 January 2026.
Q7. What is the deadline for posting my ballot paper?
Your postal vote must be delivered by Royal Mail to the independent scrutineer by Wednesday, 14th January 2026. To facilitate this – your posted ballot paper needs to be posted in order to catch the post of Monday, 12th January.
Q8. I’ve misplaced my ballot paper; how do I request another copy?
If you cannot find your ballot paper, then you should email ballot@eis.org.uk with your name and membership number (if possible) to request another ballot paper.
You are being recommended by the EIS Executive to vote Yes for Action Short of Strike Action (ASOS) and Yes for Strike Action.
Q10. If I vote yes, will we have to take industrial action?
In order to obtain an industrial action mandate:
The EIS hopes that an industrial action mandate alone will be sufficient to exert sufficient pressure on COSLA and the Scottish Government o resolve the dispute and deliver the workload reductions from 1.5 hours less teaching per week.
However, if COSLA and the Scottish Government decide not to resolve the dispute, then industrial action would be inevitable.
Q11. Who is eligible to vote in this ballot?
All members who are teachers who are employed by a local authority i.e. probationers, main grade, chartered, lead, principal, depute headteachers and headteachers.
Q12. How do I check my membership details are up to date?
You can check your details by logging into MyEIS.
If you have further questions about the workload statutory ballot, please contact ballot@eis.org.uk