Falkirk Council: Schools to close as teachers to strike again next week

Teachers are set to walk out on strike locally on Friday, January 27 if no deal is struck in the ongoing pay dispute before then.

It is the latest action to be taken by members of the Education Institute for Scotland (EIS) in a dispute with the Scottish Government over pay.

Next week’s strike action is part of a 16 day rolling plan by the union where teachers in two of Scotland’s local authorities will walk out each day.

Falkirk Council has confirmed that all schools across the district will be closed to pupils on January 27 as a result of the strikes, however Early Learning and Childcare Centres are not affected.

Andrea Bradley, EIS general secretary said: “The programme of additional strike action is a direct response to the inaction of the Scottish Government and COSLA on teacher pay.

“After a year of dither, delay and disingenuity from the Scottish Government and COSLA, Scotland’s teachers have simply had enough.”

In addition to next week’s strike day in the Falkirk Council area, the EIS has announced two more days of national strike action on February 28 and March 1, followed by a rolling programme of strikes for 20 days between March 13 and April 21.

Over the 20 day period, each local authority will be impacted by three consecutive days of strike action, with one day of strike action in all schools book ended on either side by one day strikes in primary and secondary schools.