Scotland's largest teachers' union backs strike

Members of Scotland's biggest teaching union have rejected a 5% pay offer and backed strike action.

The EIS union said 78% of its members took part in a consultative ballot over pay and conditions.

A total of 94% of those taking part voted to reject the 5% pay offer put forward by local authority body Cosla and 91% supported strike action in pursuit of a better pay offer.

A statutory strike ballot of EIS members will now take place.

If teachers back strike action in this statutory ballot then the EIS will move to take industrial action at schools across Scotland.

On Thursday, the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association revealed its members had also rejected the 5% pay deal, with the majority saying they would back strike action without an improved deal.

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: "This is an overwhelming ballot result which demonstrates, very clearly, the collective view of Scotland's teachers with regard to their pay: Cosla and the Scottish government must do better.

"The current offer, of 5%, represents a real-terms pay cut of 7% for teachers, yet employers have lauded this as a generous proposal.

"The message from today's ballot result is very clear: we are not going to accept this pay proposal, and we are prepared to take strike action in pursuit of a fair pay settlement."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said: "We are committed to supporting a fair pay offer for teachers through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, the body that negotiates teachers' pay and conditions of service.

"Industrial action would not be in anyone's interest, least of all learners and parents."

Cosla has been locked in industrial disputes with education staff and cleansing workers in recent months.

Workers at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) had been due to carry out a series of strikes in the coming weeks but this action was suspended following a new pay offer.

The SQA said its new offer would mean an overall average consolidated increase of 5.9%, excluding pay progression.