Teacher strikes resumed in Perth and Kinross today after the country’s largest teaching union announced plans for further walkouts over the next three months.
All primary and secondary schools across the county closed on Tuesday (January 17) as faculty staff took to picket lines over the ongoing national pay and conditions dispute.
The industrial action went ahead after last-ditch talks between the Scottish Government, councils and unions last Thursday failed to settle on a new pay deal.
And as a result Educational Institute of Scotland’s (EIS) on Friday announced a further 22 days of strike action nationwide - meaning another five days of walkouts lined up for local schools.
The programme will include two days of national strike action in all schools on February 28 and March 1 and will be followed by a rolling programme of strikes for 20 days between March 13 and April 21.
Over the rolling strike period, each local authority area will be impacted by three consecutive days of strike action, with one day of strike action in all schools book-ended on either side by one-day strikes in primary and secondary schools.
The programme will begin after the conclusion of the current rolling 16-day programme of industrial action.
Primary and secondary schools shut last Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, due to strikes over the ongoing dispute.
The latest walkout sees Perth High School, along with other schools in the region, having to reshuffle preliminary exam timetables in order to accommodate the strikes.
EIS, along with Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA) and NASUWT, is seeking an improvement on the Scottish Government’s five per cent pay increase offer (including a rise of up to 6.85 per cent for the lowest paid staff).
However, the trio of unions are seeking a minimum 10 per cent increase to match the current rates of record inflation.
EIS Perth and Kinross local association secretary Carolyn Weston called the current offer a “pay cut” rather than an increase due to the rise in inflation.
Education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, however, said the meetings were focused on “examining options for compromise”, rather than tabling a new offer.
She feels the current pay deal is “fair and sustainable”.
Cosla spokesperson, Councillor Katie Hagmann, said “all parties are eager to seek a resolution” but reiterated that the 10 per cent rise demand remained unaffordable.
Any new deal would need to be agreed by all 32 council leaders.
