Teachers’ union NASUWT says it will vote members on a new bid to end a long-running pay dispute.
It comes after EIS, Scotland’s largest teachers’ union, announced on Friday it would suspend school strikes next week after being awarded the improved deal.
But NASUWT Secretary General Dr. Patrick Roach said the offer was “paltry” and not what teachers wanted.
The unions will consult their members on the proposal, which would earn them a pay rise of 14.6% over 28 months.
It’s a 7% increase backdated to last April, another 5% this April and another 2% in January.
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The NASUWT union said it would continue its campaign for industrial action, including non-strike action.
dr Patrick Roach said: “No doubt employers, the Scottish Government and others will want to claim that this offer represents a significant improvement for teachers when in reality it means a further pay cut for the profession.
“The manipulation of future salary dates cannot hide the fact that this latest offer falls short of teachers’ demands and is likely to be seen as too little and too late.”
Teachers had initially called for a 10% increase this year, with the row resulting in a series of strikes closing almost all schools in Scotland.
The new proposal follows talks earlier this week between the EIS, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and Deputy First Secretary John Swinney.
EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said they would recommend members to take up the latest offer.
She told BBC Scotland: “The Salaries Committee believes that strategically this is the best that can be achieved without extensive further industrial action over a number of months.
“Teachers picketing lines instead of in classrooms – many of our members cannot afford that. We hope they will vote to accept the offer.”
Targeted strike action by the EIS in certain constituencies of the Scottish Parliament was due to take place next week.
The Education Secretary told BBC Scotland she was “delighted” that the EIS had postponed the strikes.
Ms Somerville said: “I don’t want to see any more disruption to our children and young people, especially in the run-up to exams.
“We were clearly trying to compromise as this is the sixth offer on the table.
“I am pleased that the EIS will recommend this as acceptance to its members.”
It cannot be taken for granted that teachers will accept the new salary offer. There was a wide range of reactions from individual teachers on social media.
Some believe the new offering is the best that can realistically be achieved at this time, while others believe the measures should continue.
What really counts, however, will be the outcome of the unions’ consultations with their members.
The EIS is by far the largest union in Scottish education. The union recommends that members accept the offer.
Her decision is expected to be announced on Friday.
If EIS members accept the offer, employers are likely to take it up – although some other unions or a large part of the profession might reject it. This happened to the NHS salary in Scotland.
If the EIS rejects it, widespread measures will almost certainly continue.
And if a significant portion of teachers think the action should continue, the impact on education could prove significant.
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