The NASUWT, the fastest growing teachers’ union in Scotland, confirmed its rejection of the 2015-17 pay and conditions offer for teachers at yesterday’s SNCT (Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers) Teachers’ Panel meeting.
The NASUWT's canvass of members’ opinion showed there was overwhelming support for rejection.
The offer fails to address the significant shortfall in teachers’ pay and the deterioration in working conditions since 2011.
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:
“The NASUWT voted to reject the pay offer at yesterday’s SNCT meeting.
“The NASUWT does not believe it is in the interests of teachers or the children and young people they teach to accept this offer.
“It is deeply disappointing that other members of the SNCT have accepted it.
“Teachers are thousands of pounds worse off as a result of the year-on-year cuts to their salaries. In addition, they have faced paying increased pension contributions and deteriorating working conditions.
“This award will exacerbate the deeply worrying signs of the growing teacher recruitment and retention crisis and is inadequate in the face of additional expectations being placed on teachers by the Scottish Government, such as through the National Improvement Framework.
“The award fails to address the full restoration of supply teachers’ pay and conditions, which is a key reason for NASUWT’s opposition to the award.
“Excessive workload remains the top concern of teachers and employers should already be putting in place effective strategies to tackle this issue as a result of recommendations agreed by the Scottish Government’s Tackling Bureaucracy Working Group. This award does nothing to ensure or secure progress.
“Strategies to address and manage teacher workload should not be dependent on accepting pay offers which will worsen teachers’ pay and conditions of service.
“Teachers need a pay offer which recognises them as highly skilled professionals and they need action, not woolly words and empty promises, on tackling workload.”
Jane Peckham, NASUWT National Official Scotland, said:
“The NASUWT believes that children and young people are entitled to be taught by those who are recognised and rewarded as highly skilled professionals and this derisory pay offer falls far short of what is required.
“The NASUWT has been undertaking a continuing campaign of industrial action since 2011 over pay and conditions of service, including workload and job loss, in furtherance of its national trade dispute with the Scottish Government.
“This pay award simply confirms the importance of this action continuing in order to protect teachers against attacks on their working conditions.”
