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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Stuart Gillespie

New Dumfries and Galloway school term set to be disrupted by teacher strikes

The early weeks of the new school term are set to face disruption as teachers down tools.

The region’s schools stopped for Christmas on Friday with pupils returning to classes on January 10.

But the NASUWT teaching union has now revealed plans for its members in primary schools to strike that day, with secondary school teachers striking on January 11.

The move comes after the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) announced last month it would be taking similar action, with the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA) striking on January 11.

And further EIS action is planned in Dumfries and Galloway on January 23.

All three unions have held strikes in recent weeks after rejecting a five per cent pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).

NASUWT national official Scotland Mike Corbett said: “Members are determined to continue with our campaign of industrial action and will stand together with teachers in other unions to send a united message to the Scottish Government and employers that they deserve a fair pay settlement.

“Teaching is a critical job and one that is uniquely and increasingly challenging.

“Teachers just want pay levels that reflect the years of training they have undertaken, the high level of workload involved and the skill involved in meeting the needs of all pupils.

“They want pay levels that demonstrate they are respected and valued as the key workers they are.”

When members of EIS staged a strike on November 24, all of Dumfries and Galloway’s schools were closed.

A council spokesman said: “On the back of receiving notification from trade unions of their intention to strike on January 10 and 11, we are putting in place arrangements to communicate with staff, parents and carers regarding school closures on these days.

“Our letter to parents and carers will inform them of arrangements around closures as well as provision for free school meals on the affected days, for those who are eligible for these meals.

COSLA’s resources spokeswoman and Mid Galloway and Wigtown West SNP Councillor Katie Hagmann said: “In an effort to prevent strikes happening, we, as employers, made a revised fourth offer to our trade union colleagues that did include additional money. It was a fair and affordable offer which recognises the cost-of-living crisis as the priority by focusing on higher increases for staff on lower pay points.

“This means 6.85 per cent for probationers as well as between 5.71 per cent and 5.1 per cent for those on the lower to middle parts of the pay scale who will also receive their annual increment.

“It was an offer that ensured no additional pressure is placed on teachers themselves as well as any other parts of our hardworking workforce and importantly it protects the best interests of children and young people.

“The response of our trade union partners is disappointing given the financial challenges facing everybody but we remain open to having open and honest conversations about how we can reach a viable and realistic settlement that protects the best interests of teachers, children and young people and our wider communities.”

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