Lanarkshire students face disruption with exam appeals as SQA staff set to strike

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Students in Lanarkshire could be hit with delays to appeals with staff at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) voting for strike action.Unite the Union has confirmed three days of strike action on September 8, 15 and 16.An overtime ban and ban on accrual of time off in lieu will also be in effect from September 8 to November 30.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android The SQA will confirm the results of priority appeals to UCAS on September 6.In terms of standard appeals, the appeals service opened on August 9 and the deadline for centres to submit these is September 2.Unite’s industrial action will now disrupt the standard appeals stage of the process with the trade union estimating that up to 22,000 standard appeals will be ‘severely delayed’In a consultative ballot in July, Unite announced that 95 per cent of its SQA members rejected a ‘derisory’ pay offer which is worth between 1.7 to four per cent depending on job grading.Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Unite’s SQA members have emphatically supported strike action due to a derisory pay offer which is worth as low as 1.7 per cent for some workers."There are serious concerns over education reform in Scotland, and specifically what this means for the jobs of our members going forward."These concerns have in no way, shape or form