No strikes over Glasgow school cuts

There will be no strikes by teachers in Glasgow over cuts to schools in the city, after a ballot organised by the EIS union failed to garner enough support for industrial action. 

The row is over plans by the city council to cut 450 teaching posts over the next three years.

While the majority of those who voted (90%) backed action, too few people chose to take part in the ballot for action to take place (46%).

A council spokeswoman said: "Officers will continue to engage with our trade union colleagues and keep them updated on any developments."

The EIS, Scotland's biggest teaching union, said it was now considering its next steps in the dispute, and was fully committed to fighting to protect jobs and the education service.

EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said cuts were already under way which were "massively damaging" and would effectively mean Glasgow would have 10% fewer teachers than there should be working in Glasgow City by 2027.

She criticised trade union laws - brought under the last Conservative government - which raised the threshold for unions to hold legal strike action.

It introduced a minimum 50% turnout requirement for ballots. For sectors such as education, health and transport, 40% of the entire membership has to support action for it to be legal.

Ms Bradley said the restrictions - which the current Labour government has committed to scrapping - were "draconian".

She added: "Despite a 95% vote in favour of action short of strike, and 90% vote for strike action, for the time being, EIS members in Glasgow are currently blocked from engaging in industrial action on this issue.”

The council decided to cut the posts when it set its budget earlier this year, and has already axed 172 of them.

No teachers in permanent jobs will be made redundant, the local authority has said.

Instead, they will involve teachers on temporary contracts and closing posts which fall vacant.