Teachers strike in Nicola Sturgeon, John Swinney, Shirley-Anne Sommerville and Ross Greer's areas

Teachers will walk out in Nicola Sturgeon’s constituency this week as part of a coordinated series of strikes.

Primary schools and high schools will close in Glasgow Southside on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (February 22-24).

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union is also targeting schools within the constituencies of deputy first minister John Swinney, education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and Katie Hagmann, a councillor in Dumfries and Galloway who is also the finance spokeswoman for local authority body Cosla.

EIS union officials are also targeting the regional constituency of Greens MSP Ross Greer due to the power-sharing agreement at Holyrood.

It means all schools in the part of Greer’s Milngavie and Clydebank constituency within the East Dunbartonshire council area will be closed between February 22-24 – along with schools in Glasgow Southside (Sturgeon), Dunfermline (Somerville) and Perthshire North (Swinney).

The escalation of strike action comes after the EIS last week rejected the latest pay offer from the Scottish Government and council leaders.

The new offer involved teachers who earn up to £80,000 being given a 6% pay boost backdated to April 2022 and a further 5.5% from the start of the 2023 financial year, representing 11.5% over two years.

It was rejected at a special meeting of the EIS Salaries Committee, with the union confirming strikes will continue “until a more credible offer is put on the negotiating table”.

In addition to this week’s action, the latest targeted strikes will also see schools close for three days next month (March 7-9) in the constituencies represented by Sturgeon, Somerville, Swinney and Greer, as well as the Mid Galloway & Wigtown West ward where Hagmann serves as a councillor.

As well as the targeted strikes, two days of national strike action are planned on Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, March 1.

A 20-day period of rolling strikes will also commence nationwide from March 13 until April 21, which will affect each local authority area for three days.

Speaking at a fringe event at the Scottish Labour conference in Edinburgh at the weekend, EIS president Andrene Bamford said the resolve of the teaching workforce to push for a 10% pay rise remains.

“I’ve been all around the country, and I can tell you right now – if there’s any doubt in the room – EIS members’ resolve has absolutely showed no signs of slowing down, it is as strong as it ever was,” she said.

The president added: “I am fully convinced that we will win this – and we will win this.

“We have to win this, because although it’s about pay, it’s about more than pay, it really is about education in its entirety.

“This fight is about raising the status of education, raising the status of education as an education system and raising the status of education as a profession.”

Meanwhile, a survey of EIS members found just 15% of the about 16,500 respondents were satisfied with their workload, while 78% said they were rarely able to complete their duties within working hours.

Bamford added that 40% of respondents work more than eight extra hours a week, while more than half said they “rarely have sufficient time in a working week” to do what they need to.

Somerville said: “Our focus is on resolving the industrial dispute, delivering a fair and sustainable settlement for teachers and ending disruption to pupils, parents and carers.

“We are very disappointed that the EIS rejected outright the latest pay offer – the fifth offered to unions – which would have meant an 11.5% increase, or £5,000, in April for most teachers, and a cumulative increase of almost 30% since January 2018.

“The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers has met regularly throughout negotiations and is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, February 21.”

Schools affected in Sturgeon’s constituency:

The following schools will close to pupils on Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, March 1 as part of the nationwide strikes.

They will also close o pupils on the targeted strike days – Wednesday, February 22 to Friday, February 24 and Tuesday, March 7 to Thursday, March 9.

Annette Street Primary School
Bellahouston Academy
Blackfriars Primary School
Cuthbertson Primary School
Glendale Gaelic Primary School
Glendale Primary School
Govan Gaelic Primary School
Hampden Primary School
Hazelwood School
Hollybrook Academy
Holy Cross Primary School
Holyrood Secondary School
Ibrox Primary School
Lorne Street Primary School
Middlefield School
Nithsdale Road Nursery School
Pollokshields Primary School
Riverside Primary School
Shawlands Academy
Shawlands Primary School
St Albert’s Primary School
St Bride’s Primary School
St Brigid’s Primary School
St Francis’ Primary School
St Saviour’s Primary R C School
Toryglen Primary School & LCR
Visual Impairment Inclusion Support Service

Schools affected in Hagmann’s ward:

The following schools will close to pupils on Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, March 1 as part of the nationwide strikes.

They will also close to pupils from Tuesday, March 7 to Thursday, March 9 as part of targeted strike action.

Castle Kennedy School
Creetown School
Douglas Ewart High School
Garlieston Primary School
Glenluce Primary School
Kirkcowan School
Kirkinner School
Minnigaff School
Penninghame School
Port William Primary School
Psychological Services
St Ninian’s R C Primary School
Whithorn Primary School
Wigtown Primary School

Schools affected in Somerville’s constituency:

All Fife primary schools (and their nursery classes), secondary schools, special schools and primary pupil support centres will close to pupils on Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, March 1 as part of the nationwide strikes.

The following Fife primary schools, special schools and support centres will close to pupils on the targeted strike days – Wednesday, February 22 to Friday, February 24 and Tuesday, March 7 to Thursday, March 9.

Bellyeoman Primary School
Blairhall Primary School (and associated nursery)
Cairneyhill Primary School (and associated nursery)
Calaiswood School
Canmore Primary School
Carnegie Primary School
Carnock Primary School
Commercial Primary School
Crossford Primary School (and associated nursery)
Culross Primary School
Duloch Primary School
Holy Name R C Primary School
Inzievar Primary School
Limekilns Primary School
Lynburn Primary School
Masterton Primary School
McLean Primary School
Milesmark Primary School
Pitreavie Primary School
Pittencrieff Primary School
Saline Primary School
St Leonard’s Primary School
St Margaret’s Primary School (and associated nursery)
St Serf’s R C Primary School
Torryburn Primary School
Touch Primary School (and associated nursery)
Townhill Primary School (and associated nursery)
Tulliallan Primary School (and associated nursery)

The following Fife schools are closed on February 28 and March 1 due to national strike action but are open on the targeted strike days – Wednesday, February 22 to Friday, February 24 and Tuesday, March 7 to Thursday, March 9:

Bellyeoman Primary School Nursery
Carnegie Primary School Nursery
Duloch Primary School Nursery
Inzievar Primary School Nursery
Limekilns Primary School Nursery
Lynburn Primary School Nursery
McLean Primary School Nursery
Pitreavie Primary School Nursery
Pittencrieff Primary School Nursery
Saline Primary School Nursery
St Leonard’s Primary School Nursery
St Serf’s R C Primary School Nursery
Torryburn Primary School Nursery

Open in full for all eight days are:

Beanstalk Family Nurture Centre
Halbeath Nursery

Schools affected in Swinney’s constituency:

The following schools will close to pupils on Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, March 1 as part of the nationwide strikes.

They will also close to pupils on the targeted strike days – Wednesday, February 22 to Friday, February 24 and Tuesday, March 7 to Thursday, March 9.

Abernyte Primary School
Alyth Primary School
Auchtergaven Primary School
Balbeggie Primary School
Balhousie Primary School
Bertha Park High School
Blair Atholl Primary School
Blairgowrie High School
Breadalbane Academy (Primary)
Breadalbane Academy (Secondary)
Burrelton Primary School
Collace Primary School
Coupar Angus Primary School
Errol Primary School
Grandtully Primary School
Guildtown Primary School
Inchture Primary School
Invergowrie Primary School
Kenmore Primary School
Kettins Primary School
Kinnoull Primary School
Kirkmichael Primary School
Logierait Primary School
Longforgan Primary School
Luncarty Primary School
Meigle Primary School
Murthly Primary School
Newhill Primary School
North Muirton Primary School
Perth Grammar School
Pitlochry High School
Rattray Primary School
Robert Douglas Memorial Primary
Royal School Of Dunkeld
St John’s Academy (Primary)
St John’s RC Academy
St Madoes Primary School
St Stephen’s RC Primary
Stanley Primary School

Schools affected in Greer’s contituency:

All East Dunbartonshire primary, ASN and secondary schools will be closed to pupils on Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, March 1 due to national strike action. Early Years Centres, with the exception of Campsie Nursery, will remain open.

The following schools will be closed to pupils from Wednesday, February 22 to Friday, February 24 and from Tuesday, March 7 to Thursday, March 9 as a result of targeted strike action.

Baljaffray Primary School
Castlehill Primary School
Clober Primary School
Mosshead Primary School
Craigdhu Primary School
Milngavie Primary School
St Nicholas RC Primary School
Bearsden Academy
Douglas Academy