The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) Pay Claim 2024-2025

The SNCT Teachers’ Side pay claim for 2024-2025 was submitted in January. The claim for 6.5% for all SNCT grades from August 2024 was acknowledged by the employers at the SNCT meeting in February. COSLA stated at the meeting that it was in discussions with the Scottish Government regarding local authority funding and public sector pay. It was also waiting for the Westminster Budget on 6 March to see if there would be any additional money for Scotland. To date no further response to the SNCT pay claim has been received. Unfortunately, this does not bode well for a pay settlement to be in place by August 2024.
 
 
SSTA General Treasurer Election

The SSTA General Treasurer Elaine Henderson (Aberdeenshire) is stepping down at the end of the SSTA Congress in May 2024 and following the required nomination period John Guidi (East Renfrewshire) has been elected. John was nominated by several SSTA Districts and was elected unopposed. John will replace Elaine at the end of Congress in May and hold the position until the close of Congress 2027. The Association would like to thank John for putting himself forward and wish him well in taking forward this important position in the Association.
 
 
International Women’s Day (STUC Event) Open invitation
 
In celebrating International Women’s Day, the STUC Women’s Committee will be hosting an event on Thursday 14 March at the STUC, Margaret Irwin Centre, Glasgow from 6:00  – 7:30 pm.
 
International Women’s Day is celebrated worldwide, marking women’s progress and achievements. The STUC Women’s Committee, is proud to stand alongside all those women internationally fighting for justice and equality. Every day, women are contributing to and making history, yet their achievements, stories and successes are often overlooked. The Herstory Project, developed by the STUC Women's Committee, aims to engage, encourage, and empower trade union women with the confidence, courage, and skills to share a story of their own, and to equip them with the tools to support other trade union women to do the same.

To register your attendance please click here: STUC Women's Committee IWD Event
 
 
SQA N5 and Higher English - consultation on Scottish set text refresh
 
The SSTA was contacted by the SQA to share information of a consultation on the Scottish Set Text list for N5 and Higher English. The link to the SQA English homepage contains information about the consultation. -  https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47410.html
 

Teacher Pension Applications and 2015 Remedy
 
The SPPA has advised that the implementation of the 2015 Remedy is progressing well. The SPPA’s purpose is to pay pensions accurately and on time but members’ retirement applications need to be received in time.
 
Retirement application forms need to be submitted to the SPPA at least four months before the retirement date. This is to allow the additional calculations needed for the 2015 Remedy. This requirement applies to all members and not just those affected by Remedy. SPPA do not have the ability to fast track late applications. Payments will be affected if retirement applications are submitted later than four months before retirement. 

 

Online Retirement Workshop - Monday 18 March @ 5.30pm

Following on from the in-person retirement workshops which took place in recent weeks, an online workshop will now take place via Teams on Monday 18 March at 5.30pm.

This is one of the most important years to look at various options that you have available regarding your retirement. With the changes that have been brought about following the Sergeant and McCloud ruling you need to understand the impact these will have on your pension and your retirement.

The workshop is designed to take you through these options and help you understand what your retirement can look like. We will be exploring the actions you can take both before and after retirement to give you a secure financial future. We will run through various examples looking at cashflows to help identify how you can structure your retirement incomes, as well as your savings and investments to give you the retirement you desire.

The Workshop will last approx. 1 hour 30 minutes and will explore the following topics:

• Introductions
• The Teachers’ Pension Schemes
• Sargeant & McCloud - The impact
• Phased Retirement & what has happened to Winding Down
• Cashflow in Retirement
• Using your Savings and Investments
• Where can you get help.

Register for a place at the retirement workshop.

The SSTA has taken a stance to support teachers to use their own discretion when it comes to the use of mobile phones in their classes. The reason for this position was due to the poor access to computers, mobile devices and connectivity to the internet (WiFi). Over the past few years there has been growing concern that the use of mobile phones is impacting on pupils learning, their health and wellbeing and behaviour.

The OECD  United Nations has warned of the risks of smartphones in schools, stating "only technology that supports learning" is merited in schools. Mobile devices can cause distraction, risk pupil privacy and lead to cyber-bullying says UNESCO, the UN's education, science and culture agency. (Reported 26 July 2023)

The Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science, Robbert Dijkgraaf, announced that, in order to limit potential distractions for students, mobile phones and other smart devices will no longer be permitted in classrooms in schools in the Netherlands from 1 January 2024. (Reported 6 Jul 2023)

A crackdown on the use of mobile phones in Scottish schools is being considered amid growing concerns that they disrupt learning and affect brain development. Jenny Gilruth, the Scottish Education Secretary, is “very interested” in a UN report that recommended a ban. She told ‘The Times’ that she would consider ordering research into the effect that stricter phone policies could have on education. This could include looking at the effect of locking devices away for the day in secure boxes. (Times 4 September 2023)

From a recent report on behaviour in Scottish schools, ‘the abusive use of mobile phones and digital technologies was one of the most frequently experienced serious disruptive behaviours among secondary staff,’(Behaviour in Scottish Schools 2023, Scottish Government, November 2023)

An email has been sent to members with a link to the mobile phone survey. To allow the SSTA to take forward our members concerns, we would be grateful if you could take time to complete this survey. It will help to inform our position on the use of mobile phones in schools

Thank you for taking time to complete the survey and your ongoing support.

The December 2023 Newsletter is now available for members to download.

SSTA Newsletter – December 2023

The newsletter contains information on the following items:

• Message from the President  
• Notification of the Election of General Treasurer
• SNCT Pay 2024-2025
• 2024 Subscription Fees
• Dignity and Respect at Work
• Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Advice for Probationer Teachers
• Salary Scales

Hayward Review

The Independent Review Group led by Professor Louise Hayward published the final report ‘Our Future: Report of the Review of Qualifications and Assessment’ in June 2023. Recommendations in this report centre around a reduction of national qualifications and the introduction of a Scottish Diploma of Achievement (SDA) in the Senior Phase and with three mandatory elements: Personal Pathway, Programmes of Learning and Project Learning. 

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills has committed to taking views from the teaching profession on these proposals before publishing a Scottish Government response later this year. The Scottish Government is keen to hear views from teaching staff and the consultation closes at 5.00pm Tuesday 31 October.
Professor Hayward Recommendations - What do you think? (smartsurvey.co.uk)
 

Teacher Pension - SPPA Remedy Special Newsletter
Many members attended our recent in-person and virtual briefings and will be aware of the changes to the teachers’ pensions scheme. The major focus has been the ‘remedy’ for scheme members impacted by age discrimination created by the Government in 2015. The SPPA has released a special newsletter to provide further information on how 2015 Remedy is being implemented and what members can expect. 
SPPA September Employer Newsletter - Teachers (campaign-archive.com)

A recording of the pensions presentation from the virtual briefing is available on the SSTA website - Teachers Pension Scheme Presentation - September 2023
 

Return to Work Meetings
Members returning to work after a period of sickness are sometimes required to attend a ‘return to work’ meeting. Members can be accompanied by the school representative at these meetings. The meeting should be a two-way conversation about how you are, any support you may need at work to ensure a successful return and an updating of any changes that have happened in school while you were absent. 

The school representative is there to give moral support - so member or colleague does not feel alone - and to act as a witness to what is being said. To seek clarification if what is being said is unclear. To help ensure that the meeting only deals with the agenda items. 
The school representative at this stage is not representing the member or colleague and therefore cannot speak on their behalf.
 

Teachers ‘Off Sick’
We are being increasingly alerted by members that are being required to provide work, complete assessments and write reports whilst ‘off sick’.

While a member is ‘off sick’ they have no obligation to provide work for classes and should not be contacted about work issues, including contact from any pupils. The only contact should be about ongoing health, any support that can be offered and likely return to work dates. In addition, any WhatsApp groups about work issues should be ignored until fit to return.
 

Statement of Fitness for Work - Fit Notes
The Statement of Fitness for Work, commonly known as the ‘fit note’ is used to record details of the functional effects of employee’s health condition. The fit note should allow the employer and employee to discuss the employee’s health condition and consider ways to help them stay in, or return to, work.

Fit notes may be issued by doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and physiotherapists. The law requires one of these healthcare professionals to undertake an assessment, either through a face to face, video call, telephone consultation or through considering a written report by another healthcare professional, to complete a fit note.

People can only be given a fit note if their healthcare professional considers their fitness for work is impaired. If someone is considered fit for work, they will not be given a fit note. The employee does not require a ‘fit for work’ fit note if their fitness for work is not impacted.

Employees can self-certify for the first 7 calendar days of their sickness absence, which includes weekends and bank holidays. If your employer requires medical evidence for the first 7 days of sickness absence, the healthcare professional may charge a fee, and this cost should be covered by the employer.

See the new Government guidance on fit notes 
 

SSTA Membership – Recruit a Colleague
All members are encouraged to recruit a colleague to join the SSTA. SSTA membership is unique in that it offers direct access to a senior official for advice and support. No other teacher union provides this service. The SSTA is the only trade union that offers this access to all members and remember the SSTA is the only teacher union that speaks only for Scottish Secondary Teachers.

• NQTs – Free until January 2025 (qualified 2023)
• New Teachers – Free and 30% (70% off) in 2024 (qualified 2022)
• New members – 50% for 12 months
• Part-Time – 50% for all part-timers (£8.38 per month)

We are delighted to let you know that today sees the launch of Cornmarket Protect for our members.

Using the combined buying power of the SSTA and Cornmarket we have been able to bring you a range of insurance cover for you and your family which includes:

What's more, you can have all of this cover for only £22* per month!  To find out more click on the video below

Don't delay, click on the button below and start saving with Cornmarket Protect today! 

*For individuals up to the age of 70 .

The SSTA has been advised that there will be industrial action by education support staff unions next week in many local authorities. It is unlawful for any member of the SSTA to take industrial action where the SSTA has not given specific notice to the employer advising that action will be taken.
 
Where members of another STUC-affiliated trade union are involved in industrial action, SSTA members should:

• report for work as normal
• set appropriate work for classes timetabled for the day
• not accept any variation to their contracted duties and/or undertake duties or other responsibilities of those involved in the strike
• regard time gained on the day as additional planning, preparation and correction time, NOT as additional ‘Collegiate’ time

Should the decision be taken to close the school, staff not involved in strike action should report to work or remain at home if directed by the headteacher. If the school closes SSTA members should not suffer any salary deduction. Members who have unexpected caring responsibilities because of the planned industrial action should be encouraged to work from home.

Picket lines

Where a union taking strike action establishes a picket line, refusal to cross it would render a teacher who is not a member of a union taking strike action liable to disciplinary action, including the deduction of salary, as it would be considered as participating in unlawful industrial action.

The single exception to this is where there are genuine grounds to believe that crossing the picket line would put the person concerned at risk of injury. In these circumstances, SSTA members should contact the headteacher, an appropriate senior person in the school or an appropriate person in the employing authority, if the headteacher is not available.

They should also contact SSTA Head Office to advise what has taken place and to seek further advice or support. Members are asked to stop and listen politely to any case made then cross the picket line having assured those picketing that they will not undertake work those on strike would normally have carried out.

Please note: SSTA is NOT taking industrial action and any change to the working practices may be seen as an attempt to undermine the lawful industrial action of our colleagues in other trade unions.

"Time and Place" on Days of Industrial Action by Other Unions

There have been suggestions from certain authorities that they are entitled to suspend the terms of the Handbook of Conditions in relation to "Time and Place" (T&P) on a day when pupils are not in school because of industrial action by non-teaching unions. The Association rejects this view and advises members as follows.

The right to T&P is contained in paragraph 3.7 of Part 2 of the Handbook. It is not subject to suspension at the whim of the employer.

Any teacher who might have been able to make use of the T&P arrangement on a normal teaching day may continue to do so (but subject to the caveats below). It is not the case that the teacher can maintain that the whole day is subject to T&P in such circumstances. It is only the time that the teacher would normally have T&P available which can be used. This point is most important: the Association makes use of the "normal day" argument in other cases to the benefit of members (and hence must accept the concept in this instance).

However, there is an important caveat. We are party to an agreement that we work in a collegiate environment. The pattern of a working day when pupils do not attend is well established. There are additional Departmental Meetings, whole staff meetings, work in departments, development work etc. If a teacher were to use the T&P arrangement during the time which might otherwise be used for a whole staff meeting, the point of having the meeting is lost: some teachers might not attend. In such circumstances, a negotiated agreement as to the use of the day is quite permissible. It might be noted that on such days staff very generally leave early by agreement (which might be regarded as a transferred T&P arrangement).

It is essential that any such arrangement is agreed and not imposed. The agreement might be at LNCT, JCC or at appropriate meeting at school level (SNC etc).

 If there is any attempt to impose a "suspension" of T&P, members should immediately submit a grievance (which might be collective). The General Secretary would advise on this. In such cases, we maintain the status quo arrangement viz we revert to the conditions applying prior to the dispute and hence members can use T&P subject to the above advice. It is all the more important therefore for any authority or headteacher to negotiate on the matter well before the day in question. The Association notes that anything else (including an attempt to impose a suspension) would be a significant violation of the collegiality concept which would rightly cause members to withdraw co-operation in a significant number of areas.
 
Further advice can be obtained from the SSTA Head Office