Council urged to help end teachers’ strikes
Ryan Nicolson
Councillors have been told to put pressure on the Scottish government to provide an improved pay offer to teachers.
A protest took place outside the Lerwick Town Hall today (Wednesday) on a second day of strike action for teachers this week – as the pay row rumbles on.
Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) local representative Matthew Moss said they wanted to remind the SIC that it had a part to pay in solving the dispute.
“We fully understand that school closures are having an impact on pupils and parents,” he said.
“But we ask people to understand that not only have teachers been let badly down by both the Scottish government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) but so have pupils and parents.
“They have always had the ability and the means to end this dispute but have deliberately dragged-out negotiations for over a year and brought us to this point when we must act for our members and for the good of Scottish education.”
He added: “We ask council officers and elected members to apply what pressure they can on Cosla.”
Further strike action has already been called for later in the month.
Mr ian Tinkler
The children suffer again! We all have “price of living problems,” but this is a selfish and political. political strike. Interesting text here, what a surprise “Sir Gavin Williamson accused teachers of looking for an “excuse” not to work during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to leaked messages from Matt Hancock published by The Daily Telegraph.”
Brian Smith
Anyone who cites ‘Sir’ Gavin Williamson and Hancock about an issue like this needs his head seeing to.
Mr ian Tinkler
That is a tad political, Brian. My thought is for the children but there again my qualifications were professional, not self-serving or political. We are all in for a drop in actual income, not just those backed by the Union’s, brother. Incidentally, newly qualified teaching salary of £28,000 to £34,502 per year. Not bad when you have those long holidays and such a short working day. But then the stress of teaching! in a pig’s ear! try pediatric dentistry or medicine if you want to do stress.