No new offer in Scottish teachers' pay dispute, education secretary says

EIS members took part in a demonstration outside Bute House in Edinburgh

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has reiterated that there will be no new pay offer for teachers.

Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) have held three weeks of rolling strikes affecting two council areas each day.

The last day of that action will take place on Monday in Inverclyde and Shetland.

However further industrial action is planned for the end of February and beginning of March.

Ministers and councils have said the union's requested 10% pay rise is unaffordable.

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The current 5% offer includes rises of up to 6.85% for the lowest-paid staff.

More talks have taken place between the Scottish government, council body Cosla and unions but no further pay offer was made.

Ms Somerville said: "While four offers have been made to date, these have been rejected by teaching unions. Further compromise is clearly required in order to secure a fair and sustainable settlement.

"Today's discussion was focused on progressing opportunities for compromise. There was a shared understanding that a new offer would not be made.

"Only Cosla as the employer, can make a new pay offer, through the structures of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for teachers."

On Thursday, the EIS claimed it was within the first minister's power to end the dispute.

EIS Salaries convener Des Morris said: "The only thing that will settle this dispute is an improved offer to Scotland's teachers, one that is both fair and affordable to them, which will involve additional new money from the Scottish government. This is what was done to settle disputes with other local government workers.

"It is the first minister who has ultimate control over the purse strings so, if she wishes this dispute to be settled soon, the first minister should authorise the cabinet secretary and her officials to release the comparatively modest additional funding needed to end this dispute."

'Same offer'

Mr Morris said that "little or no" progress had been made over pay in the last several months and claimed there were no further meetings of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) planned.

He added "As ever, the EIS remains ready and willing to re-enter discussions with the Scottish government and Scottish local authorities to discuss a new pay offer for teachers.

"We are not, however, willing to continue discussing the same offer that has now been rejected by teachers twice.

"The Scottish government and Cosla must come up with an improved offer to allow pay discussions to progress towards an agreement that genuinely reflects both the soaring cost of living and the value of Scotland's teachers."