The Scottish Government says its salary offer for teachers is “very fair” as talks are being held with unions to prevent further strikes.
Higher and Secondary Education Secretary Jamie Hepburn said Scottish teachers are the “best paid in the UK”.
The unions rejected a 5% increase and called for 10%. The offer includes increases of up to 6.85% for the lowest paid employees.
Members of the EIS, NASUWT and SSTA unions are scheduled to go on strike on Tuesdays and Wednesdays next week.
Primary school staff will be laid off on Tuesday, followed by secondary school teachers on Wednesday.
Schools across Scotland are expected to be closed during the industrial dispute.
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Mr Hepburn told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland: “If you actually look at what we have been offering it’s an increase of 6.85% for the lowest paid teachers, 5% for the most and £3,000 for those earning £60,000 or more.
“That would mean a 21.8% cumulative salary increase for most teachers since 2018.”
He added: “This is a fair and basically affordable offer and it would ensure that teachers in Scotland remain, to some extent, the highest paid teachers in the UK.
“We want to ensure we have that advantage for teachers in Scotland and the offer we have on the table would ensure that.”
Next week’s industrial action follows the biggest Scottish teachers’ strike in decades in November.
Teachers’ unions in England and Wales also vote for members on pay.
Most state school teachers in England and Wales have had a 5% pay rise this year and many teachers in Northern Ireland have been offered 3.2% in the last two years.
Unions argue that with inflation at 10.7%, these increases amount to a real pay cut.
Scotland’s largest teachers’ union, EIS, dismissed the offer as “insulting”.
The SSTA said the Scottish Government must “act and negotiate sensibly” if it values teachers.
NASUWT said the dispute would not end until a “substantially improved salary offer” was on the table.
The teachers’ unions are not expecting a new salary offer today. The question is whether today’s talks can lead to progress.
For example, could they find a way to a solution? Or even lead to strikes being stopped as a gesture of goodwill?
Unions have a number of concerns about the current wage offer.
First, it just can’t keep up with inflation.
Second, the offer is differentiated – with higher percentage increases for the low earners.
Third, those with more than £60,000 – essentially some leaders and MPs – will get a lump sum pay rise of £3,000. The unions do not want the gap between senior posts and classroom teachers to be eroded – also to ensure that these posts can be filled.
If there is no progress in today’s talks, next week’s strikes seem inevitable.
For some students, that means losing a third day of strikes in less than two months.
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