Could teacher strikes be called off with new pay offer?

Teachers have been given a new pay offer, which will be discussed by their unions on Wednesday.

If it is considered credible, that could mean strikes likely to cause further school closures across Tayside and Fife being called off.

Teaching unions have been campaigning for a 10% pay rise, and rejected the previous offer of 5% and up to 6.85% for the lowest paid.

On Tuesday evening, they were given a new two-year offer, agreed by the Scottish Government and local government body Cosla of:

2022/23

• 6% for all staff earning up to £80,000 from 1 April 2022
• £4,800 for all those earning in excess of £80,000

2023/24

• 5.5% for all staff earning up to £80,000 from 1 April 2023
• £4,400 for all those earning in excess of £80,000.

The EIS – Scotland’s largest teaching union – had, however, previously said any new offer would need to be significantly better than the previous one to bring the dispute to an end.

And 11.5% over two years falls well short of what they have been seeking.

When are the next strikes?

Strike action has already closed schools several times since late November.

More industrial action is planned on:

• February 22 to 24 (only in a few constituencies possibly including Perthshire North and Dunfermline)
• February 28 and March 1
• March 7 to March 9 (only in a few constituencies including Perthshire North and Dunfermline)
• Three days during March 13 to April 21 (on different dates in different local authority areas)

What happens next?

Unions will advise members of the offer on Wednesday.

The EIS said a special meeting will be held of its salaries committee to consider the revised offer.

A spokesperson said: “Once salaries committee has taken a view on the offer, executive committee will then consider any implications for our programme of strike action.”