Secondary school teachers in Scotland set for strike action next month over pay dispute

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Teachers across Scotland are set to walkout next month in a dispute over pay and condition, it has been announced.The Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA) members were balloted for strike action after rejecting a 5 per cent pay offer, and 90 per cent voted for strike action on a turnout of 62 per cent.The SSTA said that members in some local authority areas will strike on Wednesday, December 7 while others will walk out on Thursday December 8.

Members of Scotland's largest teaching union, the EIS, are also due to take strike action on Thursday, November 24.Catherine Nicol, SSTA president, said: "The executive committee felt it had no option but to move to strike action due to the failure of the employers (Cosla) and the Scottish Government to make an improved pay offer."The last pay offer was made on the August 19 and was quickly rejected by the teacher unions.

Despite a series of engagements, not even one more penny has been put on the table."Teachers have had enough of fine words and are being forced to take strike action to achieve an improved pay award.

I hope the Scottish Government will step up and help to avoid teacher strikes that nobody wants".Seamus Searson, SSTA general secretary, said the strike action is intended to send a "clear message to Cosla and Scottish Government that teachers are serious about a fair pay deal".He said: "This common practice of waiting to the last minute to reach a pay agreement shows a complete lack of respect for teachers as this pay award should have been paid in April."Teachers pay has fallen in real terms by 25 per cent over the years and the failure to act promptly only adds to teachers' frustration".The strike action on Wednesday December 7 will affect Argyll and