West Lothian teachers set to strike again at the end of the month

dailyrecord.co.uk:

West Lothian teachers will be taking part in a fresh round of strikes later this month.A deadline passed for a new pay offer to be made, meaning industrial action will again bed staged around the country on a rolling basis.Teachers in West Lothian will now walk out on Tuesday, January 31.The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said an improved deal was needed to prevent planned action going ahead.

Unions, councils and the Scottish government met on Thursday afternoon but no new offer was tabled.Teaching unions have rejected a five per cent pay increase, asking instead for 10 per cent.

The latest offer includes rises of up to 6.85% for the lowest-paid staff.The Scottish government and councils have said a 10 per cent rise is unaffordable and the education secretary urged teaching unions to reconsider their plans for industrial action.EIS West Lothian said on Twitter: “The next round of action across West Lothian is set for Tuesday, January 31 unless a significantly improved offer is presented.“We do NOT want to strike again but we have tried every other way to seek a fair settlement for Scotland’s teachers.”Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said meetings which took place this week had provided “a crucial opportunity” to further discuss potential areas for agreement.She said: “There is a shared understanding that these latest talks are focused on examining options for compromise, rather than tabling a new offer at this time.” Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier.