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‘Teachers are angry’, says Dundee union rep as strike date is announced

A Scottish teacher strike has been announced over pay. Image: Supplied / EIS.
A Scottish teacher strike has been announced over pay. Image: Supplied / EIS.

A union representative has said “teachers are angry”, after a date for strike action was announced.

Teaching union the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) says industrial action will take place on Thursday November 24.

The announcement comes in swift response to its ballot in which 96% of members voted for strike, with a 71% turnout.

Close to 40,000 Scottish teachers will strike and schools will be closed in Dundee, Angus, Perthshire and Fife as a result.

David Baxter, Dundee’s EIS rep, said: “Teachers don’t vote for strike so when they do it’s because they are angry.

“I think this could be a lightning bolt to everything else that is going on in schools.

David Baxter, EIS Dundee rep. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DCT Media.
David Baxter, EIS Dundee rep. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DCT Media.

“The Scottish Government is telling us that they are listening but what are they doing? The time is over for listening, they need to go find the revenue.”

Graeme Keir, Fife’s EIS rep, said he was “not surprised” with the result because “enough is enough”.

Graeme, an English teacher, said: “People’s pay has been declining in real terms for so long now and we have no other option, we can’t accept another real terms cut.

“Teachers are talking about moving out of their homes, heating bills they are unable to pay and some are even talking about leaving the profession because they can’t make ends meet.

An EIS rally over pay was held in Dundee in June. Image: Supplied / EIS.
An EIS rally over pay was held in Dundee in June. Image: Supplied / EIS.

“We’re constantly being told to wait for a pay rise.

“We were told to wait during the crash, then told to wait in Covid and now we’re being told to wait again.”

‘Teaching has got to be a credible graduate job’

The EIS is also concerned that the quality of teachers, and therefore the quality of education in the country, could drop if wages do not increase.

David added: “Teaching has got to be a credible job option for graduates.

“In the long run if wages become devalued then teaching doesn’t become a viable option for graduates leaving university and we will lose the quality of our teachers.”

Graeme agreed and says that by voting for strike, teachers are protecting the quality of Scottish education.

Graeme Keir, EIS Fife rep. Inage: Steve Brown / DCT Media.
Graeme Keir, EIS Fife rep. Inage: Steve Brown / DCT Media.

He said: “Teachers are standing up to defend education, the pupils they are teaching, the public sector and their own salaries.”

The EIS asked Cosla for a 10% pay rise at the start of the year in recognition of the work they did throughout the pandemic and rising living costs and inflation.

Three months later it rejected a ‘completely inadequate’ offer of a 2% pay rise and last month it rejected another offer of a 5% wage increase.

Could the Scottish teachers strike be called off?

Possibly – if an agreement on pay is reached before the strike date or if there is still a current offer being considered.

The closure of some schools for three days in September due to a strike among school support staff – not teachers – was called off five days beforehand.

That was to allow a pay offer to be considered, which has since been accepted.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We are absolutely committed to working together to support a fair pay offer for teachers through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, and to avoiding unnecessary strike action and the disruption that would cause.”

Conversation