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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association announces strike dates | Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association announces strike dates |
| (4 months later) | |
| A second Scottish teachers' union has confirmed dates for strike action in a drive for improved pay. | A second Scottish teachers' union has confirmed dates for strike action in a drive for improved pay. |
| Members of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA) will walk out on either 7 or 8 December. | Members of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA) will walk out on either 7 or 8 December. |
| A ballot of the union's 6,500 members saw 96% vote for strike action on a turnout of 71%. | A ballot of the union's 6,500 members saw 96% vote for strike action on a turnout of 71%. |
| Members of Scotland's largest teachers' union, the EIS, are due to strike on Thursday in a move which will close almost all of the country's schools. | Members of Scotland's largest teachers' union, the EIS, are due to strike on Thursday in a move which will close almost all of the country's schools. |
| Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the Scottish government was committed to supporting a fair pay offer for teachers. | Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the Scottish government was committed to supporting a fair pay offer for teachers. |
| Council body Cosla said it was "working at pace" on a revised pay offer but warned of "extremely challenging financial decisions". | Council body Cosla said it was "working at pace" on a revised pay offer but warned of "extremely challenging financial decisions". |
| Scottish secondary teachers vote for strike action | Scottish secondary teachers vote for strike action |
| Teachers in Scotland to go on strike this month | Teachers in Scotland to go on strike this month |
| Which schools will close during the Scottish teachers' strike? | Which schools will close during the Scottish teachers' strike? |
| The SSTA expects some school closures as a result of its strike action, while others will be only partially open with timetables disrupted. | The SSTA expects some school closures as a result of its strike action, while others will be only partially open with timetables disrupted. |
| Its members rejected a 5% pay offer in September. | Its members rejected a 5% pay offer in September. |
| SSTA president Catherine Nicol said "not even one more penny has been put on the table" by the Scottish government since then. | SSTA president Catherine Nicol said "not even one more penny has been put on the table" by the Scottish government since then. |
| General secretary Seamus Searson said: "This common practice of waiting to the last minute to reach a pay agreement shows a complete lack of respect for teachers as this pay award should have been paid in April. | General secretary Seamus Searson said: "This common practice of waiting to the last minute to reach a pay agreement shows a complete lack of respect for teachers as this pay award should have been paid in April. |
| "Teachers' pay has fallen in real terms by 25% over the years and the failure to act promptly only adds to teachers' frustration. | "Teachers' pay has fallen in real terms by 25% over the years and the failure to act promptly only adds to teachers' frustration. |
| "The SSTA strike action will take place over two days and is intended to send a clear message to Cosla and the Scottish government that teachers are serious about a fair pay deal." | "The SSTA strike action will take place over two days and is intended to send a clear message to Cosla and the Scottish government that teachers are serious about a fair pay deal." |
| Which council areas will be affected? | Which council areas will be affected? |
| The local authorities affected by SSTA strike on 7 December: | The local authorities affected by SSTA strike on 7 December: |
| Argyll and Bute | Argyll and Bute |
| Dumfries and Galloway | Dumfries and Galloway |
| East Ayrshire | East Ayrshire |
| East Dunbartonshire | East Dunbartonshire |
| East Renfrewshire | East Renfrewshire |
| Eilean Siar | Eilean Siar |
| City of Glasgow | City of Glasgow |
| Highland | Highland |
| Inverclyde | Inverclyde |
| North Ayrshire | North Ayrshire |
| North Lanarkshire | North Lanarkshire |
| Orkney | Orkney |
| Renfrewshire | Renfrewshire |
| Shetland | Shetland |
| South Ayrshire | South Ayrshire |
| South Lanarkshire | South Lanarkshire |
| West Dunbartonshire | West Dunbartonshire |
| The local authorities affected by SSTA strike on 8 December: | The local authorities affected by SSTA strike on 8 December: |
| City of Aberdeen | City of Aberdeen |
| Angus | Angus |
| Aberdeenshire | Aberdeenshire |
| Clackmannanshire | Clackmannanshire |
| Dundee City | Dundee City |
| City of Edinburgh | City of Edinburgh |
| East Lothian | East Lothian |
| Falkirk | Falkirk |
| Fife | Fife |
| Midlothian | Midlothian |
| Moray | Moray |
| Perth and Kinross | Perth and Kinross |
| Scottish Borders | Scottish Borders |
| Stirling | Stirling |
| West Lothian | West Lothian |
| EIS members will stage a 24-hour walkout on 24 November after voting overwhelmingly to strike. They are calling for a 10% pay rise. | EIS members will stage a 24-hour walkout on 24 November after voting overwhelmingly to strike. They are calling for a 10% pay rise. |
| On Sunday, the EIS said they were confident a new pay offer would be made to avert the strike but the union was still preparing to take action. | On Sunday, the EIS said they were confident a new pay offer would be made to avert the strike but the union was still preparing to take action. |
| EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said the union was "hopeful" of a new offer and was prepared to negotiate. | EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said the union was "hopeful" of a new offer and was prepared to negotiate. |
| Deputy First Minister John Swinney has previously said there was no more money to fund public sector pay rises. | Deputy First Minister John Swinney has previously said there was no more money to fund public sector pay rises. |
| His cabinet colleague, Ms Somerville, said on Monday: "I spoke to trades union representatives on Friday and restated that I am keen to work with Cosla, as the employers, to allow them to make a revised pay offer and avoid unnecessary strikes. | His cabinet colleague, Ms Somerville, said on Monday: "I spoke to trades union representatives on Friday and restated that I am keen to work with Cosla, as the employers, to allow them to make a revised pay offer and avoid unnecessary strikes. |
| "I have been clear, however, that the Scottish government has a fixed budget and if we are looking to fund public sector pay offers, then that money must come from somewhere else in the budget." | "I have been clear, however, that the Scottish government has a fixed budget and if we are looking to fund public sector pay offers, then that money must come from somewhere else in the budget." |
| Active discussions | Active discussions |
| A Cosla spokeswoman said: "Scottish local government values its entire workforce, of which teachers are a key part. | A Cosla spokeswoman said: "Scottish local government values its entire workforce, of which teachers are a key part. |
| "Making an offer that is affordable enables councils to protect the whole of education services and ultimately improve outcomes for children and young people. | "Making an offer that is affordable enables councils to protect the whole of education services and ultimately improve outcomes for children and young people. |
| "Along with Scottish government, we are working closely and at pace to ensure a revised offer can be brought forward, however, there are extremely challenging financial decisions that must be made, and the consequences must be understood. | "Along with Scottish government, we are working closely and at pace to ensure a revised offer can be brought forward, however, there are extremely challenging financial decisions that must be made, and the consequences must be understood. |
| "We will remain in active discussions with our trade union partners." | "We will remain in active discussions with our trade union partners." |
| The Scottish Conservatives said "the buck stops with SNP ministers" for the impending strikes. | The Scottish Conservatives said "the buck stops with SNP ministers" for the impending strikes. |
| The party's education spokesman Stephen Kerr said: "They must belatedly pull out all the stops to ensure a deal is struck to avert these damaging strikes, especially as they now have additional funds for education as a result of the Chancellor's Autumn Statement last week." | The party's education spokesman Stephen Kerr said: "They must belatedly pull out all the stops to ensure a deal is struck to avert these damaging strikes, especially as they now have additional funds for education as a result of the Chancellor's Autumn Statement last week." |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Trade Unions | Trade Unions |
| Scottish government | Scottish government |
| Schools | Schools |
| Scotland | |
| Scotland Education | Scotland Education |
| Strike action | Strike action |