Falkirk district school strikes: Scottish teachers plan 16 more days of strikes in pay dispute

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) announced the action today as a dispute over a sub-inflationary 5% pay offer for teachers intensifies. The strikes are planned over 16 consecutive days in January and February, with teachers in two local authorities walking out each day.

The action will start – unless a deal is agreed before then – on January 16 and is due to last until February 6.

National strike days will also take place on January 10 for teachers in primary and special schools, as well as early years, and on January 11 for those working in secondary schools and secondary special schools.

Schools across Falkirk district were closed on Thursday by the first national day of action - the first industrial action by teachers for four decades, with picket lines formed outside many of them.

Under the proposed schedule of consecutive strike days revealed by the EIS today, teachers in Falkirk would walk out on Friday, January 27 along with colleagues in Renfrewshire.

Andrea Bradley, EIS general secretary said, “Scotland’s teachers responded magnificently to yesterday’s day of strike action, turning out in their tens of thousands on picket lines, at demos and at campaign rallies across Scotland.

“Members have been greatly angered by the actions of the Scottish Government and COSLA who – after three months of delay – came back earlier this week with the same 5% pay offer that our members had already rejected overwhelmingly.

“Yesterday’s strike action was a clear message: Scotland’s teachers are not going to be fooled by spin from COSLA and the Scottish Government, and we are determined to make a strong stand until we receive a substantially improved fair pay settlement for all teachers.”

Ms Bradley said members have been further angered by the behaviour of the Scottish Government and COSLA over the way that the offer was presented.

“Having dragged the process out for three months, they waited until 30 minutes before the EIS was due to meet to consider the revised proposal, to actually present their reheated 5% offer. They then released it to the press, with all their accompanying spin, before the EIS Salaries Committee had even had a chance to discuss the offer,” she said.

“In these bad-faith actions, the Scottish Government and COSLA have displayed little respect for the agreed negotiating process, and even less respect for Scotland’s hard-working teachers.”

The schedule of strikes planned for January and February, with two council areas impacted each day, is: Monday 16 Jan – Glasgow, East Lothian; Tuesday 17 Jan – Perth and Kinross, North Ayrshire; Wednesday 18 Jan – Orkney, Fife; Thursday 19 Jan – Moray, North Lanarkshire; Friday 20 Jan – Angus, East Dunbartonshire; Monday 23 Jan – East Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway; Tuesday 24 Jan – Stirling, East Renfrewshire; Wednesday 25 Jan – South Ayrshire, Edinburgh; Thursday 26 Jan -Midlothian, West Dunbartonshire; Friday 27 Jan- Renfrewshire, Falkirk; Monday 30 Jan – Aberdeenshire, Borders; Tuesday 31 Jan – Highland, West Lothian; Wednesday 1 Feb – Clackmannanshire, Aberdeen; Thursday 2 Feb – Dundee, Argyll and Bute; Friday 3 Feb – South Lanarkshire, Western Isles; Monday 6 Feb – Inverclyde, Shetland.