Teachers could strike in mid-March as workload talks continue

Scotland's teachers could go on strike as early as mid-March in a dispute over workload.

The EIS union has issued a formal 10-day notice of its strike plan as SNP ministers have not yet implemented a 2021 manifesto pledge to reduce the time teachers spend in front of a class by 90 minutes.

It said "some progress" had been made since the strike vote was announced earlier this week, but it had "nothing in writing" from the Scottish government and council body Cosla to deliver promises.

Negotiations are still ongoing, and Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said she wanted to avoid a strike. However, Cosla said it needed full funding to deliver the plan.

It also said it needed assurances that giving teachers the extra "non-contact time" would "have a positive impact on children and young people".

The Scottish government's budget, which passed last month, included a 2% increase in local authority funding - which the EIS welcomed in the hope it would deliver the class contact time proposals.

Strike rules across the UK have recently changed, with unions only required to give 10 days' notice rather than the previous 14. These mandates are also valid for a year rather than six months.

The EIS notice means teachers in Scotland could strike as early as 16 March.

The union tried to get a mandate for action earlier this year but too few members voted for the ballot to be legally binding.

In the last ballot, the turnout was just 46%, although an overwhelming 86% of those who voted backed striking. This time, 60% of members voted with 85% backing industrial action.

The EIS said this will include strike days and an ongoing programme of action short of a strike.

General Secretary Andrea Bradley said giving notice of a strike allowed the union "to keep our options open" and that it was "fully committed" to seeking a solution to the dispute.

Bradley added: "What we need to see from the Scottish government and Cosla is surety over what they are offering to teachers.

"After five years of waiting, and more than a year in dispute, Scotland's teachers and the EIS will expect to see a firm and binding commitment, in writing and signed by all parties, before we are willing to remove the prospect of industrial action being undertaken in Scotland's schools."

Ricky Bell, Cosla's resources spokesperson, said the body was committed to making "meaningful progress" on the issue while ensuring that changes prioritise what is best for children.

He said: "With all of this in mind, including additional funding on the table from Scottish government and Cosla's commitment to making progress, it is highly disappointing that the EIS still insist on progressing strike action."

The education secretary said the Scottish government had offered "significant additional resource" to Cosla in order to reduce contact time.

She said ministers expected Cosla leaders to formally consider proposals "with urgency" next week.

Gilruth added: "The Scottish government remains committed to working collaboratively, to finalise the detail of implementation and maintain constructive dialogue with teaching unions and Cosla as we move forward.

"It is our hope that teachers will see this government's genuine commitment to build on the important progress made so far to deliver a New Deal for Teachers, including improved maternity pay and the introduction of a pilot of a four-day teaching week."

The next few days will be crucial if industrial action in schools is to be avoided.

The EIS is deeply frustrated by what it sees as lack of progress in cutting the workload of teachers.

The SNP manifesto in 2021 promised a cut of 1.5 hours a week in the amount of time individual teachers spend in class.

Cutting contact time would free up teachers for tasks like preparing lessons and marking. The union claims teachers often have to do these tasks in their own time.

The EIS will want a solid plan for cutting workload to avoid industrial action. After years of waiting, mere aspirations or good intent are unlikely to be sufficient.

But actually reducing workload or contact time will not happen overnight.

For a start, the union does not want this to lead to a cut in the amount of time students spend in school.

This means that more teachers would need to be employed and this would cost money.