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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Swinney 'optimistic' pay offer will end teacher strikes | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Teachers are calling for 10% | Teachers are calling for 10% |
| John Swinney has said he is "very optimistic" that the teachers' pay dispute will be resolved when a new pay offer is made later. | |
| The deputy first minister said a pay deal covering 2022/23 had gone from 6% to 7% following talks with unions. | |
| But Mr Swinney warned there will be "programmes and projects that will not be going ahead" because more money has been diverted into the new deal. | |
| Council umbrella group Cosla will discuss a formal pay offer later. | |
| It is thought the deal to be discussed by council leaders, who are responsible for making pay offers to teachers as the employer, may mean: | |
| A 7% rise covering 2022/23 | A 7% rise covering 2022/23 |
| A 5% rise from this April | A 5% rise from this April |
| A further 2% rise in January 2024, to last until next August. | A further 2% rise in January 2024, to last until next August. |
| Scotland's largest teaching union has said it is awaiting written confirmation of a new pay offer. | |
| EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said informal discussions earlier in the week "took us within touching distance of a possible settlement". | |
| Speaking on BBC Good Morning Scotland, Mr Swinney said all sides had come to a "moment of compromise". | |
| He added: "I'm very optimistic that we are in a position that we will be able to resolve the dispute in the course of today and to avoid any further disruption to education." | |
| Mr Swinney said the offer for this financial year would increase from 6% to 7% and this would result in the Scottish government taking on "additional financial pressures". | |
| He added: "There will be programmes and projects that will not be going ahead because I am having to take the money from those projects to put them into the teachers' pay deal. | |
| "That has got to be done because I want to resolve the teachers' pay deal but it doesn't come without its consequences for other areas of government activity." | |
| Progress made during teacher strike pay talks | Progress made during teacher strike pay talks |
| Dates for 20-day rolling school strike confirmed | Dates for 20-day rolling school strike confirmed |
| Formal pay negotiations with Cosla and the Scottish government were held on Thursday. | |
| Cosla is expected to meet later to discuss making a formal new offer to teachers. | |
| The EIS has said it would consider this offer today and has previously said a "credible" offer could suspend strike action in order for members to vote on the proposal. | |
| The most recent pay offer to teachers was 11.5% over two years. This included a 6% rise for 2022-23, backdated to last April, and a 5.5% increase for 2023-24. | The most recent pay offer to teachers was 11.5% over two years. This included a 6% rise for 2022-23, backdated to last April, and a 5.5% increase for 2023-24. |
| But it was turned down by the EIS and the NASUWT union. | But it was turned down by the EIS and the NASUWT union. |
| A new offer could resolve the dispute | A new offer could resolve the dispute |
| Angela Bradley said the EIS would not consider postponing next week's strikes until they had received a new offer, but said they could "move very quickly" to consult members after this. | |
| She told BBC Good Morning Scotland: "Our members have been committed to a resolution. | |
| "Hopefully what comes across from employers will lead our members to be in a position where they believe that is possible." | |
| She added: "We have meetings set up for this afternoon, our salaries committee will meet, our executive committee will meet. | |
| "Depending on the outcomes of the discussions we can move very quickly to a position where we can consult members on the offer, should one come across. | |
| "We've been very clear with the Scottish government and Cosla, we've been very clear about the timescales within which our democratic process is required to operate." | |
| Rolling strikes | |
| The EIS has scheduled more strike days if the pay dispute is not resolved. | The EIS has scheduled more strike days if the pay dispute is not resolved. |
| Union members are set to undertake a 20-day wave of rolling strikes between 13 March and 21 April. | Union members are set to undertake a 20-day wave of rolling strikes between 13 March and 21 April. |
| The dispute has been running for more than a year. | The dispute has been running for more than a year. |
| Almost every state primary and secondary school in Scotland was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as members of the EIS and NASUWT walked out in the latest national strike action. | Almost every state primary and secondary school in Scotland was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as members of the EIS and NASUWT walked out in the latest national strike action. |
| Pupils in the constituencies of senior politicians have been worst affected, as targeted strike action by members of the EIS last week closed schools for three additional days. | Pupils in the constituencies of senior politicians have been worst affected, as targeted strike action by members of the EIS last week closed schools for three additional days. |
| The same areas, which include those represented by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Mr Swinney, face another three days of strikes next week. | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Teaching | Teaching |
| Primary schools | Primary schools |
| Trade Unions | Trade Unions |
| Scotland Education | Scotland Education |
| Strike action | Strike action |