Scottish teaching panel accepts pay deal from Cosla

A Scottish teaching panel has accepted a two-year pay offer in a unanimous decision.

The Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) has accepted a two-year pay offer tabled by local authorities’ umbrella body Cosla.

The accepted terms include a 4% uplift on all SNCT pay points from August 1 2025, rising to 4.25% from April 1 2026 and a 3.25% uplift on all SNCT pay points from August 1 2026 to July 31 2027.

The SNCT Teachers’ Panel said it accepts the pay offer covering August 2025 to July 2027, but they say there is a unanimous view that much more is required in future years to ensure that the erosion in the value of teachers’ pay since 2008 is fully addressed.

Commenting on the decision, Des Morris, EIS salaries chair of the SNCT Teachers’ Panel said: “This is a pragmatic decision, which will provide certainty on pay for Scotland’s teachers for a two-year period.

“In addition, there is a shared commitment between all three sides of the SNCT in the offer to negotiate the terms of a re-opener clause for Year 2 of the deal, to provide inflation protection for teachers.”

The accepted offer follows a dismissed pay offer in June from Scottish local authorities as teachers said it fell well below their expectations.

The pay deal, which settled last year’s teachers’ strike, meant a rise was due in August. Councils offered them a 2% rise in August and a further 1% rise next May.

The new pay deal of 4% was accepted by unanimous decision and will be backdated to August 2025.

Mr Morris continued: “This acceptance follows a unanimous decision of the SNCT Teachers’ Panel. In accepting this offer now, we are drawing a line under the issue of pay at the current time and moving to prioritise other key issues for our members, not least the ongoing formal SNCT dispute on reducing weekly class contact time.

“It is unfortunate that negotiations on pay have, once again, led to teachers receiving their pay rise late this year. The SNCT Teachers’ Panel urges all local authorities to now display greater alacrity in ensuring that the pay deal is fully implemented, and that teachers receive both their pay rise and all back-dated money owed to them, prior to the Christmas break.”

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “I am delighted that teachers have accepted this pay offer, which ensures that Scottish classroom teachers on the main-grade scale continue to be the best paid in the UK.

“I am particularly pleased that many teachers may now benefit from their backdated pay award ahead of Christmas.

“However, we should be achieving pay settlements for teachers earlier in the year, so I hope we can use the time this extended pay deal provides to explore how we might improve the process for the future.”