The SSTA Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee decided at its meeting on Wednesday 15 February to consult with members on the latest employers’ pay offer in order to gauge members’ views. The Committee believes it is important to consult members on any significant development in the pay dispute. All members employed by a local authority are invited to participate in the electronic consultative survey.

The SNCT Teachers’ Pay Claim for 2022-2023 is for a 10% uplift for all SNCT pay grades. No pay claim has been made by the SNCT Teachers’ Side for 2023-2024 due to the focus on resolving the current year pay dispute. It is important to remember that any pay offer can only be accepted or rejected by the SNCT Teachers’ Panel not by any individual union. As you will recall SSTA rejected the pay offer of 2021-2022, but was outvoted at the SNCT.

The employers (COSLA) issued a pay offer late on Tuesday 14 February that gave an increase on the previous offer of 5% in the current year and the inclusion of an offer from April 2023. The term of the offer covers the period April 2022 to March 2024.

A 6% increase at all SNCT pay points with effect from 1 April 2022, with a cap at a starting salary of £80,000 or over, where a £4,800 flat rate uplift to salary will apply.
 
A further increase of 5.5 % at all SNCT pay points with effect from 1 April 2023, with a cap at a starting salary of £80,000 or over where a £4,400 flat rate uplift to salary will apply.

The COSLA offer can be found here.

The impact of the proposed increase can be seen in the attached draft pay scales.

The members’ consultative survey will commence on Thursday 16 February and will close on Friday 24 February at 1.00pm. The email invitations will be sent out this afternoon to the 'prefered' email address we hold for members.

The SSTA Salaries and Executive Committees urges all members to participate in the survey as this is vital in deciding the next steps of the SSTA pay campaign.

The SSTA Salaries and Executive Committees met today to consider the latest pay offer and the next steps in the pay dispute.

The SSTA is appalled by the actions of COSLA and Scottish Government in conducting the pay negotiations through the press and social media. COSLA and Scottish Government, together with the teacher unions, are partners in negotiations on schoolteachers’ pay and conditions of service. It shows a lack of respect of the established SNCT negotiating mechanism and the position of teachers. The SSTA together with sister teacher unions will be working to prevent this undermining of the negotiating process.

Despite this concern and the inability to undo what has occurred the SSTA Salaries Committee made the decision to consult members on the latest employers pay offer in order to gauge members’ views. All members employed by a local authority will receive an email invitation to the electronic consultative survey on Thursday 16 February with the survey closing on Friday 24 February at 1pm.

The SSTA urges all members to participate in the survey as this is vital in deciding the next steps of the pay campaign

For your information, please find below links to the pay offer letter from COSLA and a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.

• Pay Offer Letter from COSLA 
• Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills

Following the latest meeting of the SNCT Extended Joint Chairs meeting on Thursday evening to discuss a possible solution to the 2022-2023 pay dispute

Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said

“The Scottish Government and COSLA have again failed to put an improved pay offer on the table and have blocked the path towards further negotiations. Despite a range of meetings in the last week with the Cabinet Secretary plus two ‘negotiating’ meetings of the Extended Joint Chairs no new offer has been made”.

“This meeting was another wasted opportunity to bring the dispute to an end and prevent further strike action. The approach to negotiation with the trade unions is causing more disruption to pupils’ learning and giving unnecessary worry to parents. It is time the Scottish Government and COSLA took responsibility for the position and tried to resolve this pay dispute”.

“It is evident that COSLA and the Scottish Government are refusing to listen to the view of the Teachers’ Side and are happy for teacher strikes that began in November and December to extend into January and to allow further strikes to take place in the coming months”.

Catherine Nicol, SSTA President said

“The SSTA are insisting that only a suitable pay offer that will encourage teachers to remain in the profession will be acceptable. This would attract the highest quality graduates and ensure we sustain the high-quality education system we have in Scotland: a system that is respected across Europe. However, the current lack of negotiations shows a level of disrespect to the profession”.

“The SSTA Executive has no option but to look at taking strike action and other measures to get the message across.  We are not just fighting for a fair salary increase but for the future of education in Scotland”.

Following the successful strike action taken by SSTA members on 7 and 8 December the SSTA National Executive has announced the next step of the teachers’ pay campaign. A further day of strike action will take place on Wednesday 11 January 2023.
 
Catherine Nicol SSTA President said
 
“The Executive Committee would like to thank all of the SSTA members that took strike action this week. You were willing to come out in freezing conditions and this showed the strength of feeling there is against acceptance of the current pay offer.  Scottish secondary school teachers answered the call and stood together to fight for a fair and reasonable pay deal. SSTA members have sent a clear message to the Scottish Government and COSLA. Pay teachers properly: not just for now but for the future”.
 
“If the Scottish Government values its teachers it must be prepared to act and negotiate sensibly. We must have a pay offer that we can take to our members. If not, the SSTA is prepared to take strike action to obtain a fair deal and further our cause”.
 
Seamus Searson SSTA General Secretary
 
“The strikes this week have been an outstanding success with most secondary schools either been closed or severely disrupted by the action of SSTA members. I take my hat off to SSTA members, they have shown their resolve and determination to get a deal done. This can be seen by the videos and pictures of SSTA members taking strike action”.
 
“The SSTA strike will join with other teacher unions on Wednesday 11 January in a united front to send a clear message that the teacher unions are not for turning. Three years ago, the Deputy First Minister when Cabinet Secretary for Education, promised the teacher unions that teachers pay must be settled on time and without the prolonged procrastination orchestrated by the employers (COSLA). This pay increase should have been in teacher wage packets in April this year: but we still await payment. The SSTA calls on the DFM to be true to his word and settle this pay dispute now”
 
“Further strike action days in furtherance of the dispute are being considered by the Executive Committee and will be announced in the coming days”

The SSTA National Executive Committee urges all members to take part in the strike this week to send a hard message to the employer and Scottish Government that teachers demand to be respected and receive a professional salary that will act to retain teachers in Scottish schools. The rejected offer was deliberately divisive and inadequate so that has forced the SSTA to take the strongest form of action. For many SSTA members this will be the first strike they will have taken part in and this action will have caused a great deal of anxiety not only for themselves but the pupils they teach. Please be assured this is a just campaign and one on which all Scottish teacher unions are united.

The employers (COSLA) and the Scottish Government has failed to make contact with the SSTA since 22 November to avert the strikes taking place this week. The SSTA strikes have had continuous coverage in the press due to the confusion it is causing local authorities in trying to keep schools open. The situation is constantly changing, and our strike action is having an impact. The number of local authorities who are intending to close most schools is increasing. Hopefully, the employers and the Scottish Government will understand that all teacher unions are united in seeking a fair and reasonable pay settlement and action is needed soon.

SSTA members are encouraged to join with NASUWT colleagues and form a picket at all school gates. Details are included in our guidance on picketing. Please post photographs on the SSTA social media (Facebook and Twitter) and encourage members to share. It has been confirmed that EIS will be supporting our pickets on the day and will not undertake the work of those colleagues participating in strike action despite threats from the employers.


Strike by Postal Workers

Materials have been posted to all schools to be used on strike days and there is a concern that there may be a delay in arriving in schools.  Please look out for the large grey envelope. Should the materials not arrive in time we would encourage members to make their own. Posters, blank SSTA templates and armbands are available on the SSTA Website.
 

STUC ‘Scotland Demands Better’ Rally - Thursday 8 December
 
SSTA Members on strike on Thursday 8 December are encouraged to support the STUC ‘Scotland Demands Better’ Rally at Scottish Parliament at 11.00am. Further information on the rally can be found at www.scotland-demands-better.com
 
Bring Your Banners!
 

Additional FAQs - Members have sought further information in last few days and additional FAQs have been added below.
 
Q27. Do I need to leave work for my classes on the day of the strike?
No. SSTA members are on strike and are not required to set work.
 
Q28. Do I need to inform the police or my employer that a picket is taking place at my school?
No. The SSTA has informed the police that SSTA members will form a picket at all schools on the day of the strike. The SSTA has informed the employer as required by the legislation.
 
Q29. Are any pregnant members exempt from taking strike action?
Exemptions can be granted in exceptional circumstances, for example pregnant teachers whose maternity pay might be negatively affected by taking strike action, i.e. if date of action falls within their qualification period for calculation of future maternity pay. This period can be identified using this online calculator: https://www.gov.uk/maternity-paternity-pay-leave/
 
Please contact Info@ssta.org.uk if strike action falls within your qualification period or you need further help with identifying whether you require an exemption to be made.
 
Q30. My employer has told me I am exempt from taking strike action because…?
Some local authorities have contacted SSTA stating that certain categories of staff and workplaces are exempt from taking strike action. Only the SSTA will authorise exemptions for members from strike action.

Any member who feels they may need an exemption are asked to make contact with SSTA Head Office at info@ssta.org.uk
 
Please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for further information.

For those members working in the independent sector, please note that this post is for information purposes only.  See FAQs Question 25. 

The SSTA Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee met yesterday evening and unanimously rejected the pathetic and insulting pay offer from COSLA (teachers’ employers).

Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary:

“The Scottish Government and COSLA have deliberately misled the teacher unions into believing a serious increased pay offer would be made. After three months what we received was a pathetic and insulting pay offer that penalised senior teachers to the benefit of a very small number of new entrants. This treatment only shows contempt for teachers. How they think this is a sensible offer is beyond belief”

“A misleading statement by Scottish Government that falsely twists statistics to try and give the impression that this is a serious and substantial pay offer only compounds the feeling of contempt. For the vast majority of teachers there is no new offer. SSTA members have no option but to continue with planned strike action on 7 and 8 December”.

Paul Cochrane, SSTA Salaries and Working Conditions Committee Convener:

“It is evident that COSLA and the Scottish Government have refused to listen to the view of the Teachers’ Side that any offer should be undifferentiated and reflective of the current economic situation faced by a workforce that stood tall during the critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic”.

“COSLA’s behaviour has illustrated that, by dint of delay and late postponement of timetabled meetings, it has never been serious about settling with teachers. The tripartite consensus has been deliberately sabotaged and used as a stick to frustrate and punish teachers”.