Education / Strike action called off as teachers vote in favour of accepting new pay offer
SCOTLAND’s largest teaching union has confirmed that its members have voted overwhelmingly to accept the latest pay offer – meaning that future industrial action is to be called off.
The EIS said on Friday that 90 per cent of those voting opted to accept the pay offer.
Teachers across Scotland have undertaken a number of strikes over the last few months in a national dispute over pay, including in Shetland.
Further action was due to take place in the isles later this month, but it had been suspended following the new pay offer.
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “EIS members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the current pay offer, with 90% of those voting opting to accept in an online ballot.
“Turnout in the ballot was also high, confirming that Scotland’s teachers believe that it is now time to accept the offer and bring an end to the programme of industrial action in our schools.
“The acceptance of this offer will mean that, for most teachers, their pay will increase by 12.3% by next month in comparison to current pay levels. This includes a backdated 7% increase from April 2022, and a 5% increase from this April.
“Teachers will also receive a further 2% increase in pay from January next year, with the next pay settlement then scheduled to be negotiated and payable from August 2024 onwards. The total current package will amount to a 14.6% increase in pay for most teachers by January 2024.”
Bradley added that it was “deeply regrettable that it took a sustained industrial dispute, and the first programme of national strike action on pay by teachers in forty years, for the Scottish Government and COSLA to finally come up with an acceptable pay offer for Scotland’s hard-working teaching professionals”.
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