UNION bosses have announced new strike dates as teachers' pay disputes continue.

Staff will be taking two further days of industrial action in a bid to encourage the Scottish Government to increase their wages.

Members of NASUWT will walk out on Tuesday, February 28, as well as Wednesday, March 1.

READ MORE: Scottish schools shut as teachers strike in pay dispute

They blamed these further dates as a result of the “continuing failure” of ministers and COSLA to come forward with an improved pay offer.

Union bosses are calling for a fully funded 12% pay award for 2022/23.

They claim the current pay offer of 5% for most teachers amounts to a real-terms pay cut, following more than a decade of pay freezes and below-inflation pay awards.

Glasgow Times:

Staff feel they have been left £50,000 worse off as a result of their pay not rising to match inflation.

Alongside the strike action NASUWT members will continue to undertake action short of strike action.

Members are refusing to cover for absent colleagues and are attending no more than one meeting per week outside pupil sessions.

Members will continue to teach, plan lessons and assess pupils’ work.

 

 

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said: “There can be no doubt that it is the resolve of members to solidly support our action which has brought ministers and employers back to the table over recent weeks to discuss pay.

“We have continued and will continue to talk with ministers and employers in a bid to resolve this dispute, but the reality is that for all of the discussions over recent weeks an improved offer has yet to be made.

“If ministers hope that teachers will give up the fight for a better deal on their pay they should think again.

“Teachers know they are worth more than yet another real-terms pay cut and it is beyond time that ministers and COSLA recognised that too.”

 

 

Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official for Scotland, said: “We have been clear to Scottish Government and COSLA that with CPI inflation still at 10.5% - more than double the 5% pay award which most of Scotland’s teachers were offered - a substantially improved pay offer which is fully funded by the Scottish Government must be tabled without delay.

“There is a window of opportunity to avert further strike action, but the ball is very much in the court of ministers and employers.”

Commenting following Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) talks with teaching unions and COSLA today, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

“We held further constructive talks with teaching unions and COSLA. Dialogue remains focused on potential areas for compromise in bringing this dispute to an end – rather than tabling a new offer at this time.

“The Scottish Government values the hard work that our teaching workforce puts in for our learners and we remain absolutely committed to ensuring they receive a fair pay deal.

“Strikes in our schools are in no one’s interest – including for pupils, parents and carers who have already had to deal with significant disruption over the past three years. I continue to urge teaching unions to reconsider current industrial action while talks are ongoing.

“We hope that these discussions will continue to progress towards a compromise to ensure a sustainable deal for all involved.”