Second teachers' union in strike warning
- Published
A second teachers' union is warning it could hold a strike ballot over pay.
Both the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA) and the EIS are calling for a 10% pay rise.
The EIS announced plans for a strike ballot on Saturday and now the SSTA's salaries committee is recommending a similar ballot if councils reject a proposed improved offer next week.
The Scottish government says it is prepared to fund an improved pay offer but this is short of the 10% rise.
It proposes a deal which would see teachers get a 9% rise between January 2018 and this April followed by a 3% rise next year.
Councils will decide whether to go ahead with this offer at a meeting next Friday at the council umbrella body Cosla.
The general secretary of the SSTA, Seamus Searson, said that if the union held a strike ballot, the timescale would be similar to that planned by the EIS.
The EIS plans to ballot in February and could take action in March.
Mr Searson said there was a frustration that Cosla seemed reluctant to move to make a new offer as soon as possible.
He believed they should do this to show they are serious about trying to end the dispute.
The Scottish government told the unions late last week about its proposals for an improved offer and went public with the plan on Saturday.
John Swinney, the cabinet secretary for education, said on Saturday that the improved offer was a "clear indication of our commitment to recruit and retrain teachers".
He urged the unions to put the offer to their members and he added: "Industrial action is in no one's interests not least our children and young people. That has been my focus and will continue to be until this resolved."
Cosla represents the shared interests of Scotland's councils and reflects the views of its members - the organisation cannot act unilaterally on an issue such as teachers pay.
Convening an unscheduled special meeting of all its members at relatively short notice could prove very difficult.