New teacher strike dates have been announced targeting schools in the Perthshire North constituency of Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
The action announced by the EIS union will also hit the Dunfermline constituency of Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.
With talks last month failing to reach a resolution and the pay claim remaining unsettled, the Educational Institute for Scotland (EIS) – the country’s largest teaching union – has today announced an escalation of its action.
Further teacher strike action
It includes targeted strike action in schools within the constituencies of other key figures in the Scottish Government and Cosla, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Councillor Katie Hagmann and Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer.
EIS members in four of the five areas will be called out on three consecutive days from Wednesday, February 22 to Friday, February 24.
All five areas will be targeted for a further three days of action from Tuesday, March 7.
This is in addition to two days of national strike action already called for February 28 and March 1.
And a 20 further days of rolling strikes across all local authority areas from March 13 until April 21.
Teachers campaign for 10 per cent pay rise
The national strike has been organised by several unions in a campaign for a 10 per cent pay rise.
Teaching unions EIS, NASUWT, Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA) and the Association of Headteachers and Deputes Scotland (AHDS) are all taking part in industrial action.
Together they have rejected a 5% raise and the latest offer of up to 6.85% for lowest-paid staff.
A year since pay claim submitted
EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said: “It is deeply regrettable that the continuing inaction, obfuscation and spin from the Scottish Government and Cosla on teachers’ pay has led to an escalation of our programme of strike action.
“It has now been a year since our pay claim was submitted, and teachers should
have had their pay rise in their pay packet last April.
“Instead, the Scottish Government and Cosla initially offered a pathetic 2% pay settlement – at a time when inflation was nearly four times that amount.
“Since then, the Scottish Government and Cosla have dithered, delayed and dragged their feet while the cost of living has continued to soar.”
Government: 10% “unaffordable”
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the government was clear a 10% pay increase for all teachers is unaffordable.
She said: “We’ve also been very clear about the need to progress opportunities for compromise so we can reach a fair and sustainable settlement for all involved.
“Escalation of strike action by targeting pupils, parents and carers in certain parts of the country does not change the financial reality the government is operating in.”
