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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

Conditions of Service - 02/10/2011

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

Conditions of Service - 02/09/2011

EI condemns “desperate tactics” as Egypt uprising turns violent

Education International has called for Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak to bring an immediate end to the violence being led by his regime against peaceful demonstrators who continue to demand fundamental rights and democratic change.

After a day of clashes between supporters of the President and protesters calling on him to resign immediately, Egyptian state television reports that hundreds of people have been wounded in pitched battles across Cairo.

EI calls for an immediate end to the violent repression of peaceful protesters which has been characterised by beatings, lootings and censorship of television and communications networks. EI also insists that those responsible for the violence be brought to justice.

EI General Secretary, Fred van Leeuwen, said: “There are moments when history is written not by the powerful, but by the people. This is one of them. Millions of Egyptians face a fateful choice. Thousands have been jailed, injured or killed in the last few days, but if they press on in peaceful protest, they could end decades of tyranny. Their government must listen and respond to the legitimate demands of Egyptian society, including independent trade unions, teachers and students.”

EI calls on the Egyptian authorities to protect its citizens. EI President, Susan Hopgood, said: “The violent repression of the people's voice is unjustified and the authorities must ensure a peaceful transition to genuine democracy takes place without delay.”

As the political crisis has grown with protests in the streets the regime of President Mubarak has become ever-more desperate to stop media coverage of the uprising. EI is calling on its affiliates to lobby their government to press the Egyptian regime to protect its citizens and to end its communication blackout which constitutes a serious violation of the rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.

EI welcomes the newly established Egyptian Federation for Independent Unions (EFIU) which is comprised of independent trade unions of teachers, health professionals and other workers. In its founding statement, the EFIU calls for Egyptian workers ‘to organise and defend their workplace and all citizens during these critical times and to organise protest actions and strikes to realise the people's claims'.

International - 02/03/2011

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

Conditions of Service - 02/01/2011

New Exam Information

Dear Colleagues

SQA have indicated that they will publish Course Rationale and Summary documents for National 4 and National 5 this morning (Monday 31.01.11). These draft documents will be made available on the SQA website (http://www.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence).

There is a very short consultation period, 2 months, and the Association will be asked for immediate responses to the document.

If you have time in your busy schedule to look at the rationale for your subject a short (or long) comment sent to info@ssta.org.uk (adding SQA comments to the subject line) would be greatly appreciated. These will form the basis of both the Associations initial and later, full response. Detailed comments sent during February and March will also be particularly welcome.

With best wishes

Yours sincerely

Ann Ballinger

General Secretary

Curriculum for Excellence - 01/31/2011

Aberdeen City Indicative Ballot Results

Dear Colleagues

The indicative ballot closed at midnight on Wednesday 26 January 2011.   Part 1 related to ballot verification then two questions were asked.   The response to questions 2 & 3 were:

2. In the event of compulsory redundancies:
64.4% in favour of a ballot on action including strike action
35.6% in favour of a ballot on action short of strike action

3. In the event of a pay cut being imposed:
80.5% in favour of a ballot on action including strike action
19.5% in favour of a ballot on action short of strike action

This Association will be carefully monitoring the situation in Aberdeen City and would ask every member to contact us immediately if they are threatened with any of the actions listed above. Members will be kept fully informed of any information received and will be contacted as soon as the situation becomes clear.   In the meantime please do not hesitate to contact either the office or your District Secretary, John Gray, if you have any questions or require support.

Yours sincerely

Ann Ballinger

General Secretary

Information for Members - 01/28/2011

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

Conditions of Service - 01/24/2011

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

Conditions of Service - 01/12/2011

Union Warns Over Abuse of Internet Help for Pupils

The Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association, representing 8500 teachers in Scotland's Secondary Schools, today warned its members over problems caused following harassment of some of its member via electronic mail.   In particular harassment by pupils was now a significant concern.

The union issued its advice today on its website pointing out that the situation had become worse in recent days as teachers worked from home and tried to maintain contact with students especially those who would take national examinations next year.

Of particular concern was that many teachers working from home during the recent bad weather had no access to an intranet system which would permit secure contact with students.   Such intranet systems would prevent teachers requiring to use their own personal email.

In her advice to members, SSTA General Secretary, Ann Ballinger said “In certain cases, teachers have become subject to harassment by certain misguided elements who have managed to obtain the email addresses of teachers.

“The SSTA therefore advises its members never to use their personal email facilities to contact their students.   Such contact should be limited to contact via established intranets.   This requirement makes it all the more necessary that all teachers have access to Glow or other intranet system both at school and at home.”

Note for news editors

Glow is an intranet system widely used in Scotland for the transfer of educational materials between teachers, schools and local authorities.   Certain local authorities also have their own intranet systems.   Students may, with appropriate permissions, access these systems.    

For further information, please contact

Ann Ballinger

General Secretary

Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association

West End House

14 West End Place

Edinburgh

EH11 2ED

Press Releases - 12/22/2010

Scottish Teacher Union Warns on Impact of Cuts

The Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association, representing 8500 teachers in Scotland's Secondary Schools, today warned its members on the impact of the cuts in education budgets currently under discussion in many Scottish local authorities.   The union expressed particular concerns that Councils did not have enough knowledge of educational systems and arrangements to be fully aware of the impact of the cuts.

Speaking in Edinburgh today, Ann Ballinger, General Secretary of the union said, “The SSTA accepts that local authorities are in a state of financial stringency imposed on them by both the Holyrood and Westminster Governments.  

“Regrettably certain local authorities have suggested or imposed cuts without regard to the consequences.   The people of Scotland deserve better.   The SSTA is prepared to discuss with every local authority mechanisms which can be used to reduce the impact of cuts or at least to soften the effect.   One meeting between unions and COSLA (the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) did take place at which COSLA did make it clear that no area of local services was being excluded from the cuts.   Meetings have also taken place between unions and certain local authorities.   There has, however, been too little discussion between the employers and unions representing local authority employees.      

“Within education it is of particular regret that many authorities are significantly reducing their spending on services for pupils with additional needs.   Most obviously classroom assistant posts are being lost.   This action targets the most vulnerable and does little to inspire confidence in the ability of certain authorities to do other than attack the soft targets.

Ms Ballinger referred to the legal position saying “All authorities should be aware of the implications of their proposed cuts in terms of the effects on the delivery of a sound, modern education system.   The SSTA questions whether certain authorities will continue to meet their legal obligations under the terms of current legislation and in particular the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act.            

For further information, please contact:

Ann Ballinger

General Secretary

Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association

West End House

14 West End Place

Edinburgh

EH11 2ED

Press Releases - 12/22/2010

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