Meet the General Secretary - Pension Scheme

Seamus Searson the General Secretary would like to meet with SSTA members to discuss the issues that face secondary teachers and how we protect and improve conditions for members. The General Secretary will also give an update on Pay, Workload and the New Qualifications. A list of dates and venues are below. At this meeting there will be an important update on the new Scottish Teachers 2015 Pension Scheme and how it could impact on your future plans. The Scottish…

General Secretary Report - September 2015

Health and Safety Reps A well-attended training event took place in June. Topics included asbestos, safety on social media, pupil risk assessment, stress and violence. School Representatives Training A well-attended training event took place in August. Topics included WTA, managing workload, stress and absence management. Pension Briefings An update of the 2015 pension changes and their implications have been arranged in Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Perth, Stirling, Edinburgh, Troon, Dundee and Fife . Other venues to be added see ssta.org.uk The…

Pay Settlement

The SSTA, Scotland’s only specialist union for secondary teachers, has reluctantly agreed to accept a two year pay settlement. Two increases are proposed: 1.5% for the 12 months to 31 March 2016 (backdated) and a further 1% to 31 March 2017. The proposed settlement still needs to be agreed by all three sides of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers. Some details of the proposed settlement were welcomed: The government has expressed a commitment to protecting teacher numbers for the…

Named Person Legislation

The SSTA welcomes the refusal of the challenge to legislation to a named person for every child in Scotland. The SSTA agrees with the statement made by Lord Carloway “Essentially all that the legislation does, and is intended to do, is to provide for every child and his or her family a suitably qualified professional who can, if necessary, act as a single point of contact between the child and any public service from which the child could benefit.” Seamus…

Post-Congress 2015 Newsletter

The Post-Congress 2015 newsletter is now available for members to download. Congress 2015 Newsletter Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to open the newsletter. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader it can be downloaded from http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/.

Professional Update Survey

The SSTA wishes to gauge members’ opinions on the implementation of the Professional Update Process. Emails are being sent out to members today with links to the survey. Members who have not received an email should contact the SSTA office with details of their email address. The information we collect will provide a snapshot of how the process is being implemented and will be helpful in our discussions with the GTCS and local authorities.   The link in the email…

School Rep Bulletin - 35 Hour Working Week

Printable Version The following represent the most commonly asked questions relating to the 35 hour working week and the contractual matters associated with Working Time Agreements. Q1. How are teachers’ contractual duties determined? They are shown in the SNCT Handbook Part 2: Section 2 - Main Duties Q2. Can the duties be varied at school level e.g. by the insertion of such a variation in a school Working Time Agreement (WTA)? No. Q3. Can the duties be amended at District…

School Rep Bulletin - Working Time Agreements

Printable Version School Rep Bulletin - Working Time Agreements 1. Introduction Since 2006 the pupil contact time for secondary teachers in Scotland has been limited to a maximum of 22.5 hours per week. Teachers are contracted to work for 35 hours per week. Part 2 Section 3.9 the SNCT handbook states that: “An allowance of no less than one third of the teacher’s actual class contact commitment is provided for preparation and correction. The use of remaining time will be…

TEACHERS’ PENSION SCHEMES 2015/12

The purpose of circular 2015/12 is to provide clarification on: Contribution rates and tiers for members joining and leaving the scheme CARE members who have additional contracts Cash conservation Employee and employer contributions payable whilst a member is on sick leave/maternity leave/shared paternity leave/ adoptive leave Contributions for members who receive holiday pay quarterly Salary sacrifice

North Ayrshire Teacher Elected as President of SSTA

Euan DuncanPresident Press Release - President Elected 27 May 15 Scotland’s only specialist union for Secondary Teachers, the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association, has recently selected North Ayrshire teacher Euan Duncan as its new President. Euan was elected unopposed following a call for nominations from the Association’s districts throughout Scotland. Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said "I would like to congratulate Euan on his successful election as President and wish him every success in a period where education in Scotland is…