Perth and Kinross teachers' union points to ‘broken promises’ as staff members strike

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Schools across Perth and Kinross closed for two days this week as teachers took to picket lines over an ongoing national pay and conditions dispute.All primary schools and Early Learning Centres, including Fairview School, shut on Tuesday due to the mass walkout.Secondary schools followed suit by closing on Wednesday with Perth High, Perth Academy and Robert Douglas Memorial staff members among those pictured taking to the pavements with placards and signs campaigning for better pay.The industrial action has seen Perth High School, along with other schools in the region, reshuffle preliminary exam timetables in order to accommodate the strikes.The action from Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA) and NASUWT comes as members seek 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).Higher and further education minister Jamie Hepburn called it “a fair and fundamentally an affordable offer”.However, the trio of unions are seeking a minimum 10 per cent increase to match the current rates of record inflation, with last-ditch talks between the unions and Scottish Government officials on Monday failing to prevent the strike action.Fully-qualified teachers in Scotland are currently paid between £33,729 and £42,336.It follows previous nationwide industrial action held on November 24, which saw all Perth and Kinross schools close in what was the biggest Scottish teachers’ strike in nearly 40 years.The next strike day planned will take place on Tuesday, January 17– facilitated by EIS – with every county school and ELC setting closing, including Fairview School.However, further talks with