Teachers protest outside Nicola Sturgeon's official residence as schools closed in pay dispute

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Teachers demonstrated outside Nicola Sturgeon’s official residence today as part of their campaign for higher wages.Secondary schools across the country were closed today after classroom staff went on strike for a 10 per cent pay increase.Alison Murphy, local secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) led protests outside Bute House in Edinburgh.And Andrene Bamford, the union’s national president, told the crowd the rate of inflation was "still crazy" and added: "If we don’t get a decent pay settlement our wages will be further eroded."She said: "If the Scottish Government say they have no money, well, they need to take their budget back to the drawing board and they need to think again."Bamford told the crowd outside the townhouse in Charlotte Square: "Here is a message for the Government – don’t resort to Tory tactics of using language that others the unions."The Scottish Government has said that the 10 per cent rise wanted by EIS members was "unaffordable".It has offered a deal which would see most teachers get a five per cent rise with the lowest paid getting 6.85 per cent.But striker Julie McGarvey denounced it as "spin" by the Scottish Government.“They have an underspend of £2 billion of their budget that they never spent last year, they could increase taxes in other areas, it’s not true that they could not afford that,” she said.Some secondary school pupils also joined the picket line with their fellow teachers.Sixteen-year-old Adam Ballard, of the newly formed Edinburgh High School Students’ Union, told protesters: “Whether a strike will impact on my learning or not, we all stand with you in support of a 10% pay rise.”Ben Cormie, 14, Lucy Crosbie, 13, and Isla Cormie, 17, were also among secondary