NASUWT teaching union blasts latest Scottish Government pay offer as 'paltry' as members balloted

A teaching union has blasted a ‘paltry’ increased pay offer tabled by the Scottish Government and local authority body COSLA amid a long-running bitter dispute.

NASUWT said the latest offer “falls short of what teachers have demanded”.

On Friday, unions representing educators agreed to put the offer to members, which will see planned industrial action later this month suspended.

The proposal includes a 7% backdated pay rise from last April followed by a 5% rise this April and another 2% increase in January, 2024.

Teachers were set to hold 20 days of strike action between March 13 and April 21.

Strikes have now been suspended, with a ballot opened to members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) to vote on the offer, which union bosses have recommended members accept.

The NASUWT teaching union will also ballot members over the offer, but claimed it amounted to “another pay cut for the profession” which came “too little, too late”.

Last week, the union also claimed it had been excluded from talks between the Scottish Government and the EIS, which is the country’s biggest teaching union.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary said: “It comes as no surprise to see this latest pay offer appearing as if from nowhere, following meetings held in the last few days, which excluded the NASUWT, in order to cook up this latest proposal.

“This latest pay offer provides only a paltry improvement over the previous offer that was rejected by our members.

“No doubt employers, the Scottish Government and others will want to claim that this offer represents a significant improvement for teachers, when in fact that means another pay cut for the profession.

“The manipulation of future pay award dates cannot disguise the fact that this latest offer falls short of what teachers have demanded, and it is likely to be viewed as too little too late.

“We will hear what teachers have to say as we consult our members on this latest offer.”

Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official for Scotland, added: “We question the secret dealing and reasoning behind this offer, which has improved very little.

“We cannot understand the rationale of stretching the pay deal over 28 months when this is too far ahead to make reasonable predictions about what the inflation outlook will be, while – crucially – the deal contains no reopener clause.

“This remains a significant pay cut for teachers, however it is dressed up.

“Our campaign of industrial action, including Action Short of Strike Action, continues.”