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