Plans to axe hundreds of teachers in Glasgow have been branded a "suicide mission by a union leader.

Glasgow could be facing a school strike this autumn over council plans to cut teachers by up to 10%.

The EIS is balloting members over the proposed cuts and union leaders said there is already strong feeling in favour of a strike, if necessary.

Andrea Bradley EIS general secretary said the teacher cuts, if allowed to proceed, would impact every aspect of education.

She said the council is planning to cut 450 teachers, including 172 this year and on top of 125 lost last year.

She said: “Glasgow City Council has a plan to haemorrhage 10% of teachers.

“If it's not stopped it will have implications for ASN on behaviour and critically in a city like Glasgow, will seriously harm the city's ability to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap."

In that respect, she said it was a "suicide mission".

Bradley said it would increase workload for remaining teachers who were already overburdened.

The union leader said it would be an “absolute calamity."

She questioned how Glasgow got itself into this situation.

Last week the Glasgow Times reported Douglas Hutchison, director of education at Glasgow City Council, stating he did not recognise the figure of 10% when put to him at a council committee meeting.

He was asked by Fiona Higgins, Labour councillor, about the impact the loss of 10% of teachers would have on equality work.

Mr Hutchison replied: “We are not losing 10% of the teachers in the city, that would be the first point to make.”

Ms Bradley said 450 teachers overall on top of 125 lost last year was the figure the EIS was balloting on.

She added: “That is the rationale for the ballot. If Glasgow City Council wants to adjust that figure they are welcome to do that.”

Andrea Bradley was speaking at an EIS event at the SNP conference in Edinburgh on education in Scotland, together with Jenny Gilruth, Education Secretary.

Jenny Gilruth said she was not going to comment on the local situation in Glasgow.

However, she added: “I can’t improve attainment with fewer teachers in Scotland. It’s for the birds. I’m watching very closely.”

The EIS ballot of all teacher members in Glasgow opens on Monday morning until October 2.

Douglas Hutchison has written to the EIS disputing the number of 125 teachers the union said was lost last year.

He said: "A significant number of the 125 were super-numerary due to over-recruitment and there being no available post for them.  As such they were allocated in addition to the core staffing and were found acting posts throughout the course of the year." 

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council, said: “The EIS has notified us of their statutory ballot, and we will await the outcome in due course.

"In the meantime, we will continue to liaise with union colleagues."

.