Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association

Category: Conditions of Service

  • Review of teacher employment in Scotland

    Professor McCormac, Chair of the Review of Teacher Employment, has issued a Call for Evidence to be submitted to the Review Group from interested parties.   Members are encouraged to give their opinions by complete the questionnaire.   Please remember that group replies are frequently given the same weighting as individual ones.   For that reason it is very important that as many members as possible respond giving their views.   The questionnaire can be found on the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/reviewofteacheremployment.

    The Association will be submitting a response on behalf of members and will also post draft comments for members to use if they wish following the Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee meeting on the 21 March 2011.

  • Consultative Ballot regarding Proposed Changes to Conditions of Services

    Dear Colleagues

    Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee met on Wednesday 2 March 2011, where it was agreed that a consultative ballot of members employed in the state sector would take place in relation to the changes in conditions of service proposed by COLSA.   In addition to being asked if they support the proposals, members will be asked to consider whether industrial action should take place if the changes are imposed by COSLA.   Details of the proposed changes to conditions of service can be found on our website https://ssta.org.uk.

    Ballot papers will be sent to home addresses at the beginning of the week commencing 7 March 2011.

    Yours sincerely

    Ann Ballinger

    General Secretary

  • COSLA Proposal – Frequently Asked Questions

    A list of frequently asked questions and answers regarding the COLSA Proposals has been produced for the information of members.   If you have a question that is not answered here please email SSTA HQ at info@ssta.org.uk.

    Q1. Does the comment in section 2 of the document about ‘sufficient teaching posts for all probationers’ mean that Probationers finishing is 2011 are guaranteed a job?
    A. NO they are not. The comment in Section 2 refers to the number of jobs which would become available.   The Cabinet Secretary assures us that the jobs would be open to all registered teachers and subject to competitive interview using normal procedures. Appointments are, of course, under the control of the education authority.
    Q2

    		 Does the change from lifetime conservation affect PTs or Deputes conserved as a result of amalgamation?
    A.

    		 COSLA intends that this change will apply to all teachers employed by local authorities and in receipt of lifetime conservation.   Where conservation results from an amalgamation and redundancy could have applied members may be able to take legal action.   This would have to be tested at law and we have no definitive answer at present.   Legal advice is being sought on your behalf.   Head teachers in this position should, in the first instance, contact the SSTA for advice.
    Q3 Would the 5 years of cash conservation apply to a teacher currently conserved?
    A. Any teacher appointed before April 2001, whose salary would be reduced before 31 March 2013,   will be entitled to cash conservation until 31 March 2016.   Any teacher whose salary is reduced from 1 April 2013 would be entitled to cash conservation for 3 years from the date of the reduction.
    Q4. What is cash conservation?
    A.

    		 A teacher in receipt of ‘cash conservation’ retains the higher salary for a period of time (normally 3 years) but does not receive any pay increases until the salary for the post reaches the level of the conserved salary, or the period of conservation ends.   At the end of the stipulated period the teacher’s salary reverts to the national scale point for the post.
    Q5. Does the move to 40 days annual leave mean I would lose holiday pay?   Would my holiday entitlement be reduced?
    A. This is an attempt by COSLA to reduce the amount of holiday entitlement women accrue during maternity leave.   They have divided the leave year into 2 sections, contractual leave and school closure.   Permanent employees would continue to be paid in the usual way and at the same rate. Salary would continue during school closure days.   There would be an effect on supply staff whose daily rate would be higher but who would be paid for fewer holidays.
    Q6. Would teachers still be paid during school closure?
    A. Teachers who have permanent contracts would be paid as they are currently.   There would be no changes to frequency of payment or the amount as a result of this element of the proposal.
    Q7. What would a teacher on point 6 of the pay-scale be paid for doing supply?
    A. For supply cover of up to 8 days all teachers would be paid for 5.5 hrs per day at scale-point 1.   A complete working week is 35 hours, 7 hours per day.   From day 9 a supply teacher would be paid at their normal scale-point.
    Q8. How would the changes to sick pay affect me?
    A. Every day of sick leave would be paid at 90% of your normal salary.   The normal rules about length of entitlement would continue to apply.   The maximum payment would therefore be 26 weeks at 90% of full salary followed by 26 weeks at 45% of full salary.

  • COSLA Proposed Changes to Pay and Conditions

    Dear Colleagues

    The final proposal from COSLA detailing changes they wish to make to teachers’ conditions of services are now available to download from here. Paper copies of this proposal and a ballot paper will be sent to all members working in the public sector during the next 10 days.   Please contact us if you have not received a ballot paper by 10 March.   The return date is 22 March 2011.

    I must stress that this Association has reached no agreement with COSLA and our policy will be based solely on the stated views of members.

    Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further clarification.

    With best wishes

    Ann Ballinger

    General Secretary

  • Update on COSLA proposals

    Dear Colleages

    I regret to inform you that no progress as been made on SNCT negotiations or COSLA agenda because the COSLA representatives cancelled the meeting late on Wednesday. We do not, as yet, have a firm date for a replacement meeting but expect to meet next week.

    I will, of course, contact you as soon as further information is available and the Association will continue to add updated information to the website.

    If you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to contact me at info@ssta.org.uk.

    With best wishes

    Yours sincerely

    Ann Ballinger

    General Secretary

    18 February 2011

  • 10 February 2011 Update

    Colleagues

    During the course of today we have become aware of some unexpected additional cuts to education within Local Authority budget proposals.

    At yesterday’s meeting COSLA did warn the teachers’ side that their proposal would appear as “ a done deal”   in budgets because “these savings have to be made” but they (COSLA) were still prepared to negotiate.

    The Teachers’ side have not agreed to any proposal, and will not.

    A final decision will be made by members in a ballot.

    As soon as there is further information available, even if the report is     ‘no progress’, you will be informed.

    Yours sincerely

    Ann Ballinger

    General Secretary

  • Update on SNCT Meeting

    Dear Colleagues

    I regret to inform you that no final decision was reached at the SNCT meeting today.   It was agreed in advance that the discussion would not be subject to comment outside the meeting until a decision is reached.   The proposals explained to you in earlier emails are still representing the employers’ position.   Further meetings will take place during the next two weeks and I guarantee to keep you informed of any decisions made.   This Association will not accept changes to Conditions of Service without the agreement of members.

    Yours sincerely

    Ann Ballinger

    General Secretary

  • Negotiations with COSLA

    Dear Colleagues

    The convener of the Salaries and Conditions committee was part of the delegation which met with COSLA and the Scottish Government on Monday 31 January.   Subsequently our Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee met today, Tuesday 1 February, to determine our response to the most recent proposals.

    COSLA wish us to believe that, in return for considerable detriment to our conditions of service new teacher posts will be created.   However they are unable to give us accurate information about the number of teachers currently employed in each Authority; no guarantees about action to be taken if promises are not kept and no definite clarification of the number of posts to be created.     The clearest information we have is that teacher numbers will not fall by more than 900, hardly an overwhelming improvement.

    The detriment to some teachers would be considerable:

    • All supply teachers being paid at scale point 1 for the first 15 days of every placement, and only for 6/7 of a day.
    • Life time conservation to become cash conservation and be removed after 3 years
    • An end to the Charter Teacher scheme (or stopping it for 1 year)
    • Sick pay paid at only 90% of salary from day 1 of absence
    • Probationers to work 80% of class contact time instead of 70% presently done.
    • Contractual holidays limited to 40 days, with 26 days additional leave which the Scottish Government describe as ‘being like weekends’.     COSLA claim this will have no effect on the holiday entitlement unless a teacher takes maternity leave.

    The Committee decided that we cannot agree to this proposal and consequently the SSTA will oppose the move at the SNCT meeting to be held on Wednesday 9 February.     Should the proposal change we will consider that amended proposal and inform you as soon as possible.   We expect to receive an official version of this information by the end of this week.   It will be immediately added to the website.

    Further updates will be sent by email and added to the website as soon as more information becomes available.   In the meantime if you have any comments or questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

    With best wishes

    Yours sincerely

    Ann Ballinger

    General Secretary

  • Pay demand made by the Teachers’ side

    Dear Colleagues

    You may have noted the comments in newspapers today about the pay demand made by the Teacher’s side, and wrongly credited to the EIS. The claim was for a minimum of 3.3%, based on the rate of CPI during 2010.

    Apart from the obvious purpose of this claim it is vitally important that our employers are aware of the loss teachers will suffer if a freeze on pay is maintained.

    The Convener of Salaries and Conditions of Service is continuing to meet with the Employers to question their stated intention regarding conservation, payment of teachers on supply contracts and other issues. There is no agreement on any of these issues. At this stage we do not have a concrete proposal from the employers side. Regular updates will be posted on the website and emailed to members and all members will be informed when (if) there are fleshed out proposals to consider.

    With best wishes

    Yours sincerely

    Ann Ballinger

    General Secretary

  • Possible action by COSLA/Scottish Government to end conservation

    Dear Colleagues

    Many of you will be aware of the article in newspapers at the weekend, discussing possible action to end conservation.  

    This was one of the proposals agreed between COSLA and the Scottish Government in November 2010.   Teacher Unions have not agreed to this and negotiations are currently underway.   At this stage the Management side have been unable to provide us with any of the details needed to make a rational decision.

    COSLA are stating their position very clearly!   If they are unable to save the £60M they claim to require, teacher posts will go; through redundancy, vacancies not being replaced and possibly increased class contact time.       There are difficult choices ahead.

    I can assure you however that this Association is working hard to produce the best possible outcome for members, and will continue to do so.   We will keep you informed through the website, by email and by post.  

    Yours sincerely

    Ann Ballinger

    General Secretary