Potential Resolution to Teacher Strikes in Six Scottish Council Areas
Strikes planned at schools in six council areas across Scotland concerning teacher workloads may be averted following a draft agreement reached between the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and the Scottish government.
The EIS announced that a draft deal to resolve the dispute has been agreed upon; however, it requires formal ratification by the local council body, Cosla.
Last week, the EIS issued a formal 10-day notice to employers indicating industrial action due to the failure to provide teachers with an additional 90 minutes of non-contact time.
Cosla leaders are scheduled to convene on Friday to discuss the proposed agreement. If approved, the planned strike action would be halted.
The proposed walkouts were scheduled across two days at schools in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross, and Moray.
Previously, EIS members voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, with 85% of those participating in the ballot supporting the move.
The union is urging councils and the Scottish government to take further steps to reduce the maximum time each teacher spends in front of a class by 90 minutes, a commitment made in the Scottish National Party's 2021 Holyrood election manifesto.
In the previous year, the Scottish government announced proposals to introduce a "flexible" four-day teaching week for teachers.
The EIS has been contacted for comment.
Last week, EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley stated that the union "remains fully committed to seeking a solution" to the dispute and is open to "meaningful discussion" with the Scottish government and local authorities during the 10-day notice period.
The Scottish government's budget, approved last month, included a 2% increase in funding for local authorities, which the EIS welcomed in the hope that it would enable the implementation of the class contact time proposals.
A spokesperson for Cosla, the umbrella organisation representing Scotland's 32 local authorities, expressed concerns regarding the "financial and practical implications" of reducing class contact time.
"Industrial action is in nobody's interests, and we urge unions to work with Cosla and Scottish government to find a solution all parties can agree rather than threaten to disrupt education at this crucial time of year.
We recognise that supporting teachers is essential. However, this needs to be facilitated in a way that ensures a positive impact on outcomes for children and young people."
Scheduled School Closures Due to Proposed Strikes
East Renfrewshire was set to be the first area affected, with schools and nurseries scheduled to close on Tuesday 17 March and Monday 23 March. Family centres were not expected to be impacted.
Fife council confirmed that its members had been invited to strike on the same dates, and parents would be contacted on Thursday to confirm whether schools would close.
Glasgow City Council announced that all its primary, secondary, and Additional Support for Learning (ASL) schools were to close on Wednesday 18 and Tuesday 24 March.
Schools in Dundee were also expected to be affected on these days.
In Moray, schools were scheduled to close on Thursday 19 March and possibly Wednesday 25 March. Perth and Kinross council warned that its schools might also be impacted on these dates.
Although the initial impact was limited to six council areas, all 32 local authorities in Scotland received official notification of the intention to strike last Friday.
This indicates that further disruption could occur if the agreement is not formally accepted.
