Teachers reject 'insulting' pay offer

Members of Scotland’s largest teaching union have overwhelmingly rejected a one per cent pay increase.

In a ballot of its members, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) found just 2 per cent of those who responded were willing to accept the rise.

General secretary Larry Flanagan urged government and councils to come forward with a better offer. 

He said: “Scotland’s teachers deserve a fair pay rise from their employers and the Scottish Government.

“With this ballot result, our members have shown, very clearly, that they consider the current offer neither fair nor acceptable.

“Throughout the continuing Covid crisis, Scotland’s teachers have worked flat out to seek to minimise the damaging impact of the pandemic on young people’s education.

“Teachers are key to the planned programme of educational recovery and deserve to be appropriately remunerated for their efforts.

“It is time for Cosla and the Scottish Government to play fair and finally commit to a reasonable and fair pay rise for Scotland’s teaching professionals.”

Another teaching union, the NASUWT, rejected the offer earlier this month.

Scottish Labour Education spokesperson Michael Marra said: “This overwhelming result speaks volumes about the strength of feeling among teachers, who have long been undervalued and overworked.

“Teachers have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic, facing up to unprecedented challenges and doing their best to protect kids’ education. 

“It beggars belief that the SNP’s response to these efforts is to try and inflict a real terms pay cut. 
 
“This insulting pay offer is clearly not good enough – the SNP must sit down with the unions to agree a truly fair deal for teachers.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie said: "For all the sacrifices they have made through the pandemic and for the role they play in educating the next generation for the wider world teachers deserve more than this derisory pay offer.

"The message from the teachers is overwhelming.

"The employers must listen and treat teachers with the respect they are due."