Teachers agree backdated pay deal

A deal has finally been reached on teachers' pay after months of negotiations.

Teachers will get a 1% rise backdated to April 2017, followed by another 1% rise in January.

There are also changes to the pay arrangements for supply teachers.

The agreement follows months of discussions at the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers - the joint body that includes the Scottish government, unions and councils.

The EIS union said it was pleased the rise exceeded the normal cap on public sector pay.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney confirmed the Scottish government had earmarked an additional £24m in funding for the deal.

He said: "We recognise that teachers are the most important in-school factor in a child's educational attainment - having the right number of teachers in schools, with the right skills, is vital to delivering our aims of excellence and equity in Scottish schools.

"Reaching agreement on this pay deal demonstrates the benefit of government, employers and unions working together through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers.

"As announced in the draft budget, we will provide an additional £24m through the local government settlement to make this deal happen, alongside continued funding of £88m so every school can access the right number of teachers."

'Positive conclusion'

Gail Macgregor, chairwoman of the Employers' Side group which negotiates with teachers, welcomed the agreement.

She said: "I am pleased to say that after long and protracted discussions, the teachers' pay negotiations for 2017/18 have reached a positive conclusion.

"Undoubtedly, we will be meeting again shortly to discuss the pay claim for 2018/19. But it would be good to recognise that for the current year we have been able to reach a satisfactory position agreed by all sides of the SNCT."

EIS salaries convener Helen Connor said: "Teachers will welcome that agreement has now been reached on a backdated pay settlement for 2017, and that all pay scales will increase by a total of 2% from January.

"It has been a lengthy process to secure this agreement, and work has already begun towards the 2018 pay claim which is scheduled to be settled by April.

"While this pay settlement does not meet our aspiration to restore teachers' pay to pre-austerity levels, it does represent an uplift in pay that exceeds the current 1% public sector pay cap.

"We welcome that the cap will be lifted from 2018 onwards in Scotland, and will continue to engage constructively in discussions via the SNCT with the aim of delivering improved salaries for all teachers working in our schools."