By Jim Hislop

TWO OF SCOTLAND’S teaching unions look set to vote for strike action, in protest against the Government’s plans to change public sector pensions, following preliminary consultative ballots.

There will now be a statutory ballot of all members of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association and the Educational Institute of Scotland between March 29 and April 14.

“The vote in the consultative ballot was a resounding call for industrial action against proposed changes to pensions,” said SSTA general secretary David Eaglesham.

“We have been campaigning relentlessly for over 18 months on this issue, and the consultative ballot amongst SSTA members confirms that this is a huge issue of concern for Scotland’s teachers. By a margin of three to one they have voted to have a full ballot on a day of strike action.

“SSTA members are angry that the Government has failed to listen to the arguments put by teachers about the adverse effects of the pension changes both on current teachers and on future recruitment. They believe that now is the time to increase the pressure on the Government to scale back proposals.”

The SSTA executive committee confirmed that members will now be asked to vote “yes” in a statutory ballot on a one-day strike on April 26 across Scotland. This will coincide with similar action by other education unions all over the UK.

The consultative ballot results were—papers issued 8017, papers returned 3094, spoiled papers 8; number of votes cast 3102 (39%), yes votes 2259 (73%), no votes 835 (22%).

The EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, also held a consultative ballot that showed strong support for industrial action in support of the campaign to protect pension rights, with 82% of respondents voting in favour of action and 18% against.

The EIS will now move forward with a formal ballot of its members on a national basis.

Calling for a high ballot turnout, EIS general secretary Ronnie Smith said, “We must send a clear message to ministers that an attack on the pension rights of teachers and lecturers will not go unchallenged. The Government cannot be allowed to move the goalposts on pensions.

“Teachers and lecturers, along with other public sector workers, signed up for their pension deals in good faith and have the right to expect that promises made to them will be kept. Teaching is consistently found to be one of the most stressful professions and the Government’s plans to force through changes, which would force many to work longer, would only make matters worse.”

Meanwhile, hopes of averting a strike by 1.5 million council workers and civil servants—which could impact upon any action by teachers—dramatically rose last night after a breakthrough in a bitter dispute with the Government over pensions.

Ministers offered a “fresh start” in dealing in with the controversy and promised unions that the Government would revoke changes to the retirement age due to come into effect on April 1.

Unions will meet over the next few days to decide their next move, but it looked likely that a planned 24-hour walkout next Wednesday would not go ahead, saving the Government the embarrassment of a huge outbreak of industrial action just weeks before the expected general election.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott made the new offer at talks in London yesterday and it was backed up by a letter from Work and Pensions Secretary Alan Johnson, who acknowledged there had been “misunderstandings and suspicions” of the planned reforms.

The promised changes to the Government’s plans would affect local authority workers but were expected to spread to civil servants, who are involved in a separate row over pensions.

Leaders of the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents 290,000 civil servants, will meet on Monday to decide their next move.