New strike ballot to be held in teachers dispute

Teachers in Scotland's largest education union are to be balloted again on whether to go on strike over their workload.

A ballot which closed on Wednesday failed to give the EIS union a legal mandate to go on strike because the turnout was too low.

Only 46.57% of those entitled to vote took part. However, an overwhelming majority - 85.94% - of those who did vote backed strike action.

The Scottish government has insisted it is committed to dealing with the workload concerns and recently announced proposals to try to do this.

Cosla said it was disappointed that EIS members would be asked to vote again and it would continue to work with the unions.

On Thursday morning the NASUWT also confirmed that fewer than half of its ballot papers were returned before Wednesday's deadline.

The unions want to see a reduction in the amount of time teachers spend in front of pupils to give them more time to prepare lessons and mark work.

They argue that teachers are spending too much of their own time doing this and effectively working for free.

The rules on public sector strike action mean a significant proportion of union members have to back action - a simply majority is not enough.

The overall turnout needs to be above 50% and at least 40% of those asked to vote must support a strike.

The EIS said it had "very strong Yes votes" for industrial action, so has decided to re-ballot members. Full details of the new ballot will be announced later.

It said legislation introduced by the previous Conservative government had resulted in some of the most restrictive ballot thresholds in the world.

The current UK government has passed a new Employment Rights Act which will remove many of the more restrictive elements of trade union law previously introduced.

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said a meeting of the union's executive had given a strong message that the EIS must "press ahead with its campaign to secure promised actions to tackle excessive workload".

She said: "The Scottish government and Cosla made promises to Scotland's teachers and pupils that action would be taken to employ additional teachers, reduce teachers' class contact time, cut teacher workload and create a better working environment for teachers and pupils alike.

"We cannot let the politicians off the hook on their promises, and we cannot take our collective foot off the gas in our workload campaign."

Bradley urged teachers to "work collectively" to ensure their workloads are reduced.

"The pressure created by the threat of industrial action focuses the minds of politicians, and presses them to take action to deliver on their promises," she added.

A Cosla spokesperson said reductions in class contact time must be fully funded, adding that industrial action was in "nobody's interests".

They added: "We recognise that supporting teachers is essential. However, this needs to be facilitated in a way that ensures a positive impact on outcomes for children and young people."

National strike action could have potentially closed almost every school in Scotland.

The unions want to see so-called "contact time" cut from 22.5 hours a week to 21 hours, in line with an SNP manifesto pledge in 2021.

The EIS claim there has been no progress in recent years towards resolving its concerns.

Teachers in Scottish state schools are contracted to work for 35 hours a week.

This includes time in front of pupils and time for other professional duties, including marking and preparing lessons.

A cut in contact time to 21 hours a week would give teachers an extra 1.5 hours to prepare and correct work.

Reducing contact time would not necessarily have to mean changes to school hours.

For example, more teachers could be employed or primary pupils could spend more time with someone other than their main teacher.

The Scottish government insists it is committed to dealing with teachers' concerns.

In November, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth announced plans to deliver reduced class contact time.

Her proposals included changes to the working week, which could mean individual teachers would be in the classroom four days a week with the fifth spent on other professional activities.

She also suggested nationally agreed minimum standards on pupil learning hours, which could allow later start times, extended breaks or restructured school days.

At the time, Gilruth said the proposals demonstrated "clear commitment" to supporting teachers and improving education in Scotland.

"It is a statement of intent to empower Scotland's teachers with the time, trust, and tools they need to deliver transformative learning," she added.

"Working together, we can shape a future where reduced class contact time is not just a logistical change, but a catalyst for deeper professional engagement, improved wellbeing, and better outcomes for every learner."

The other main teachers' union, the SSTA, is also balloting its members on this issue. Its ballot is open until next week.

The Scottish government has been approached for comment.

Workload is a key concern for the teachers' unions.

However the fact that fewer than half of EIS members took part in the ballot suggests that a significant number of members may not believe that striking is the best option in this dispute.

The union has argued in recent weeks that a strike was not inevitable. It suggested that even the threat of a strike so close to the Scottish election in May could be a powerful weapon.

It hoped a credible strike threat could lead to action by the Scottish government and councils.

Changes to union laws which will be implemented in the coming weeks will make it easier for unions to secure mandates for strike action.

The second ballot together with the change in the law means that a strike before the Scottish elections could still be possible if the dispute is not resolved.