Category: Conditions of Service

The employers have made an improved pay offer of 4.27% for all SNCT grades from 1st August 2024. The SSTA Salaries & Conditions of Service Committee will be considering the offer in advance of the SNCT teachers side meeting later this week.
 
Please see COSLA pay offer here.  Further updates to follow.

Welcome to the new school session with many changes on the horizon with the Education Bill and forthcoming changes to National Qualifications. Today we have the launch of relationships and behaviour action plan and mobile guidance.
 

Relationships and Behaviour Action Plan

The action plan has been developed by the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS). The action plan draws together a wide range of actions which are to be taken in response to the range of evidence on relationships and behaviours in Scotland’s schools. The Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (“BISSR”) report 2023  provided a  national picture of the experiences of school support and teaching staff, headteachers and education authority staff on relationships and behaviour in Schools. In addition, evidence was gathered from teacher union surveys and individuals through the Relationships and Behaviour in Scottish Schools Summits, these insights have contributed to the actions set out within this plan.
 
The initial view of the SSTA is to welcome the action plan as an attempt to introduce consistency throughout the education system. The lack of consistency is a major issue held by many teachers in managing pupil behaviour in school. The action plan includes a reference to ‘consequences’ being part of the approach to building professional relationships in classes. This responds to the clear view of teachers in the BISSR research around pupils facing no or few consequences for poor behaviour (Action 2). This is further built upon by seeking to identify supports to address the issue of those pupils who do not respond to either relationship building of the use of consequences (Action 15).
 
The review of all current processes for recording incidents including violent incidents, is to identify potential means of streamlining processes. This is important as it recognises the need for the recording of serious incidents, including violent incidents, to be improved and for some consistency to be achieved across the country (Action 4). There is clear recognition that under-recording is an issue that needs to be addressed. Good recording of incidents is necessary to ensure that pupil behaviour risk assessments can be completed based on the firm evidence. This seeks to directly address issues of violent behaviour in schools – not just on responding to such incidents, but on using risk assessments (and mitigations they require) to make sure such incidents are less likely to occur (Action 16).

Please follow the link Improving relationships and behaviour in schools: ensuring safe and consistent environments for all Joint action plan 2024 – 2027  

 
Guidance on Mobile Phones in Scotland’s Schools

Mobile phones in schools are a major concern for teachers in disrupting learning and a factor in many instances of poor pupil behaviour. This was highlighted in the SSTA members survey that showed 92% of lessons were being disrupted by pupil mobile phones. This guidance developed with the teacher unions, isempowering schools to take the steps they see fit to limit the use of mobile phones in schools, up to and including a full ban on the school estate during the school day.  Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills has offered full support to any school who decides to institute a ban on mobile phones in their school.

Please follow the link Guidance on Mobile Phones in Scotland’s Schools 
 

 
Health and Safety Representative Training
 
The SSTA is holding a Health and Safety Rep Training day on Friday 13 September at the Stirling Court Hotel. To register for a place at the training day, please complete the registration form on the SSTA website

Please note: All Health and Safety representatives are entitled to paid time off to attend training. It is your employer’s duty to allow it under the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977
 
Yours sincerely

Seamus Searson
General Secretary

At the SNCT Teachers’ Panel meeting on Wednesday 14 March to consider the 2022-2024 pay offer. The pay offer was formally accepted by all unions and the decision was communicated to employers at the close of the meeting. The SNCT Handbook is to be updated to include

1. SNCT 23/93 Pay Agreement April 2022-July 2024
2. SNCT Part 2 Appendix 2.1 Salary Tables
3. SNCT Part 2 Appendix 2.5: Annex A (Remote School, Distant Island and Residential Special School Allowances)

 
Local authorities will be planning to make the changes in salaries including ‘back pay’ and will be advising all employees of payment arrangements.
 
Claiming ‘Back Pay’
 
The pay changes will be automatic to most members who have continued to be employed by the same local authority. However, the SSTA wishes to advise members who have retired or left the profession during the period of the pay settlement are required to make a ‘back pay’ claim to their previous employing authority.
 
In addition, members that have moved local authority or gained a promotion are also required to make a ‘back pay’ claim.
 
For further information, please follow the link to a SSTA proforma to assist in making the claim.

The SSTA conducted a formal pay ballot of members on the latest pay offer from the employers (COSLA). Members voted overwhelmingly to accept and brought the SSTA pay dispute and further industrial action to an end.
 
The SSTA members returned a 85.3% in favour of accepting with 14.7% rejecting the latest offer. The formal ballot had a turnout of 79.9%.
 
Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said.
 
“The SSTA is an autonomous teachers’ union and the response to the ballot gave a clear statement. The membership has determined to accept the latest pay offer. Throughout the period of industrial action, the SSTA has taken a measured approach, and has been willing to negotiate to find a solution to the pay dispute”.
 
“The SSTA is proud to be a member-led union, and the ballot is a fundamental part of our democratic process. The SSTA will be voting to accept this offer at the next SNCT meeting and asserting that the back pay due is in teachers’ pay packets as soon as possible. Hopefully, the employers will be prepared to act quickly”.
 
“However, the SSTA has a major concern over the unnecessary pay cap; this seems to be an act of political dogma rather than a rational proposal. The inclusion of this is a considerable barrier in the professional career structure for secondary school teachers. The career ladder has been stifled for many years: the number of posts of responsibility has been cut severely.  Posts such as these are needed in secondary schools as they are essential for good management systems. The reduction in the number of posts with responsibility attached to them has put good order in schools at risk; this is a fundamental requirement for a successful school. It is no surprise that teachers are walking away and this salary cap is just a ‘slap in the face’ to teachers in senior positions in schools”.
 
 
Catherine Nicol, SSTA President said.
 
“This dispute could, and should, have been resolved many months ago. Scottish Government and COSLA should have been more prepared to negotiate with teacher unions properly and long before they did. This showed a lack of respect for the collective bargaining process that is in place and the unions had no option but to embark on strike action. Many days of school closures causing children to miss their education should and could have been prevented. Lessons on negotiating with teacher unions must be learnt, the process must be taken seriously in future”.
 
“SSTA members have been frustrated by the delay in the delivery of a pay award that should have been paid in April last year. They have been keen to get back to work and to support their pupils as they prepare for the forthcoming examinations”.
 
“I am proud to be the SSTA President, as the SSTA is the only teachers’ union that speaks exclusively from the perspective of teachers that work in the secondary sector, and I make no apology for this. The SSTA speaks and fights, solely on behalf of those that hold posts in Scottish Secondary schools.

The SSTA has launched a formal ballot on the improved pay offer received from COSLA . The SSTA is advising all members to consider carefully the details of the pay offer.  Please note that it is structured differently from the previous pay offer that members were asked to consider in the consultative survey in February.
 
The offer is for 28 months and is in three parts for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 July 2024:

• A 7% 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 £5,600 flat rate uplift to salary will apply.
• A further increase of 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 £4,000 flat rate uplift to salary will apply.
• A further increase of 2% at all SNCT pay points with effect from 1 January 2024, with a cap at a starting salary of £80,000 or over where a £1,600 flat rate uplift to salary will apply.

A draft set of salary scales based on the revised pay offer can be found here.

The formal online ballot will be conducted by Mi-Voice, an independent scrutineer and will close at 4.00pm on Thursday 9 March 2023. It is vitally important that members respond as quickly as possible to ensure that all members’ views can be considered. 

The SSTA is an autonomous teachers’ union and will determine its own position on pay and future industrial action following the outcome of this formal ballot. As a member-led union, the ballot is a fundamental part of our democratic process, and it will be acted upon by the SSTA elected-member committees.

Remember the SSTA is the only teachers’ union that speaks solely on behalf of Scottish Secondary teachers.  Every member’s view is important!

The email invitation to take part in the ballot will be sent out by Mi-Voice at approx. 4.30pm on Monday 6 March 2023 from elections@mi-voice.com.  The email will be sent to members preferred email addresses. If you cannot see the email, please check the junk/spam folder. 

Should you be unable to find your ballot email, you can request that the email is re-sent by visiting www.mi-vote.com/secure/ssta and entering the required information.

The SSTA National Executive met today to consider the next steps of the SSTA pay campaign. The Executive had identified dates for further industrial action in the event of the employers failing to produce an improved pay offer.

However, just after 3.00pm today an improved pay offer was received from COSLA and as previously agreed by the SSTA Salaries Committee and National Executive the latest pay offer will be put to members. The SSTA will conduct a formal online ballot undertaken by an independent scrutineer next week with further details for the ballot to be issued early next week

Following a meeting of the SSTA Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee and National Executive this evening the following statement has been released.
 
The SSTA conducted a consultative survey of all members in local authorities, to gauge members’ views and comments on the employers pay offer (14 February 2023). The committees would like to thank all members who contributed to the survey that had a 76% response.
 
The SSTA position has been to build strike action, apply pressure on the Scottish Government and COSLA and to bring the pay dispute to settlement. The SSTA has embarked on a measured campaign that has led to a series of meetings of all sides. At each stage SSTA sought to increase opportunities for negotiation. Following the failure of the employers to present a new pay offer the SSTA Executive, at its meeting on 20 January, declared two further days of strike action to take place on 28 February and 1 March.
 
Eventually, on the 14 February a new pay offer was received. The SSTA Executive made the decision to consult members on the latest offer, to gauge members’ views and help to give a steer as to the next steps in the pay campaign.
 
The consultative survey responses contained a wide range of views and has highlighted the strong feelings of members, not only on teachers’ pay but the damaging impact teacher workload is having on members.
 
The members survey returned a very marginal vote in favour of accepting the pay offer. However, the pay offer was rejected by the SNCT Teachers’ Side and therefore the pay offer of 14 February has fallen. Discussions within the SNCT are continuing for an improved offer to be brought forward.
 
The SSTA National Executive has unanimously agreed in light of the members response in the survey to defer the industrial action planned on 28 February and 1 March in the expectation of an improved pay offer in the coming days.

The SSTA will in conjunction with other teacher unions reinstate the industrial action should an improved pay offer not be forthcoming

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