Scottish teachers to consider strike action over 'crippling workload', EIS says

Scottish teachers are set to consider taking strike action over their “crippling workload”.

Union leaders have also accused the Scottish Government and local authorities of “dithering and delaying” over plans to cut the time teachers spend in classrooms.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) announced on Wednesday that its executive committee unanimously agreed to request a statutory ballot for industrial action over the ongoing dispute to reduce teachers’ workload.

It means teachers across the country will be asked to consider taking industrial action over workload issues and class contact time.

“In opening a statutory ballot, the EIS is keeping its commitment to its members to take all possible steps to tackle the unfair, unhealthy and unsustainable levels of teacher workload that have been plaguing teachers’ professional and personal lives for years,” EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said.

“Only by the Scottish Government and COSLA keeping their commitments to reduce teachers’ workload by reducing class contact time can a move to industrial action be avoided.”

The SNP made a 2021 manifesto commitment to reduce class contact time by 90 minutes to a maximum of 21 hours a week and recruit more teachers to deliver the policy.

The EIS went into formal dispute over the issue in February after a deadline for a “tangible plan” for delivering the change passed without being met.

The Scottish Government recommitted to its plans to ease teacher workload in August, but no agreement has yet been reached.

Ms Bradley said high class contact time is causing teachers to work an excessive number of hours. On average, she said they are working the equivalent of a day and a half extra each week over and above what they are paid to do.

“We are now in the fifth year since the current Scottish Government administration made a manifesto promise to address crippling teacher workload after years of knowing about and acknowledging the seriousness of it, by reducing teachers’ maximum class contact time to 21 hours per week,” Ms Bradley said.

“During this time, teachers have shown divine patience, while continuing to toil under excessive workload burdens, and thousands more teachers are without permanent contracts and out of work or underemployed, as the Scottish Government and COSLA have continually dithered, delayed and disagreed with one another over delivery of this essential commitment.

“The unanimous agreement by the EIS Executive Committee confirms that teachers’ patience on this matter is now more than spent and we will now move ahead with a statutory ballot for industrial action.”

She said the ballot could be avoided by the Government and councils “keeping their commitments to reduce teachers’ workload by reducing class contact time”.

Ms Bradley urged them to “at long last agree a way forward in the delivery of the promises made on workload reduction”.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ministers have been clear that reducing class contact will help support the time and space necessary for teachers, to allow them to drive improvement and reform in our schools and improve outcomes for their pupils.

“We are committed to working with teaching unions and COSLA to agree our approach to delivering a reduction in class contact time at pace.

“Ministers respect union members’ right to withdraw their labour, but are disappointed that the EIS has taken this action while these constructive discussions are ongoing.”

COSLA has been contacted for comment.