Hopes of new pay offer to avert more school strikes

Scotland's largest teaching union says it is awaiting written confirmation of a new pay offer for teachers.

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said informal discussions earlier in the week "took us within touching distance of a possible settlement".

Formal pay negotiations with Cosla and the Scottish government were held on Thursday.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said there were "useful discussions" at the meeting.

She said she hoped Cosla, the council body responsible for making pay offers as the employer, would make an offer "by the end of the week".

It is thought the possible offer to be discussed by council leaders may mean:

If this is agreed, the offer for 2022/23 comes closer to the 10% pay claim made by the unions for that period. The Scottish government has said their demands were "unaffordable".

But the package would still fall significantly below inflation.

And there is no certainty that council leaders will agree to this offer.

EIS said a "credible" offer could suspend strike action in order for members to vote on the proposal.

Cosla have been approached for a response.

The most recent pay offer to teachers was 11.5% over two years. This included a 6% rise for 2022-23, backdated to last April, and a 5.5% increase for 2023-24.

But it was turned down by the EIS and the NASUWT union.

Ms Bradley said: "Following some useful informal discussions this week that took us within touching distance of a possible settlement, it is now for the Scottish government and Cosla to deliver a new pay offer to Scotland's teachers that can get an agreement over the line.

"Once we have a revised offer in writing, it will be considered through the democratic structures of our union.

"It will be for members elected to our salaries committee to consider any new offer, and for members elected to our executive committee to then consider any implications for the current programme of strike action."

She said the union had made provisions for a special meeting of its salaries and executive committees on Friday in anticipation of a new offer.

She added: "Ultimately, should a suitably improved offer be received that we can credibly put to our members, strike action would be suspended to allow for consultation, and it would then be for members to decide whether to accept that offer."

The education secretary said she was pleased with the discussions at the meeting on Thursday.

She said: "It would be for Cosla, as the employers, to make any revised offer and the Scottish government stands ready to support them to do that.

"I hope an offer can be made before the end of this week, so this dispute can be resolved without further disruption to children and young people's education."

The EIS has scheduled more strike days if the pay dispute is not resolved.

Union members are set to undertake a 20-day wave of rolling strikes between 13 March and 21 April.

The dispute has been running for more than a year.

Almost every state primary and secondary school in Scotland was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as members of the EIS and NASUWT walked out in the latest national strike action.

Pupils in the constituencies of senior politicians have been worst affected, as targeted strike action by members of the EIS last week closed schools for three additional days.

The same areas, which include those represented by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Deputy First Minister John Swinney, face another three days of strikes next week.