London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Unions 'very sorry' for teacher strike disruption

Unions 'very sorry' for teacher strike disruption

Union leaders have said they are "very sorry" as thousands of pupils across Scotland face another unscheduled day off due to teacher strikes.

Members of the SSTA and NASUWT unions are taking action on Wednesday and Thursday, claiming they have no other option in their pay dispute.

They have warned there could be further strikes if they do not receive a "significantly improved" offer.

The Scottish government said the unions' demands were "not affordable".

It follows the EIS strike which saw almost all schools close on 24 November and the rejection of the latest pay proposal.

Unions were offered a rise of between 5% and 6.85% but the EIS is asking for 10%.

On Tuesday the NASUWT said it was seeking a fully funded rise of 12% for 2022/23.

Union members in 17 local authorities boycotted classes on Wednesday, with action in the other 15 council areas on Thursday - resulting in the partial closures of many schools.

Iain Glennie, assistant general secretary with the SSTA union, said he expected further strike action in January unless the proposal from employers was "significantly improved".


The SSTA and the NASUWT are the latest unions to strike after the EIS walked out on 24 November

He insisted the latest pay offer was "barely better" than the previous offer which was rejected.

Speaking on a picket line outside a school in Glasgow, Mr Glennie said: "These members don't want to be on a picket line, they are teachers, they came into this profession to teach, it is a vocation.

"They want to teach, they are being stopped from doing this. This is what we have to do in order to make our case.

"So we are very sorry for the disruption it causes, but if the Scottish government aren't going to make a material difference to the offer this is what is going to happen."

Mr Glennie said unions were willing to restart talks with both the government and the local government body Cosla - adding that no discussions had taken place since 22 November.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the pay demands were not affordable


On Wednesday, industrial action is taking place in: Argyll and Bute; Dumfries and Galloway; East Ayrshire; East Dunbartonshire; East Renfrewshire; Eilean Siar; City of Glasgow; Highland; Inverclyde; North Ayrshire; North Lanarkshire; Orkney; Renfrewshire; Shetland; South Ayrshire; South Lanarkshire; West Dunbartonshire.

The local authorities affected on Thursday are: City of Aberdeen; Angus; Aberdeenshire; Clackmannanshire; Dundee City; City of Edinburgh; East Lothian; Falkirk; Fife; Midlothian; Moray; Perth and Kinross; Scottish Borders; Stirling; West Lothian.

Disruption is expected in most areas through either partial or full closures of schools.

Although mainly limited to secondary schools, some primaries are affected. About a third of councils said they expected "significant" disruption.

With prelim exams taking place in many schools, older pupils are being prioritised and younger pupils are being given the day off.

The latest pay offer from the Scottish government was formally rejected last Wednesday.

The NASUWT said that a typical teacher in Scotland is almost £50,000 worse off as a result of their pay failing to keep pace with inflation since 2010, a loss they say will be further compounded by the current below-inflation pay offer.

The union also confirmed that following this week's strikes, members would begin a programme of ongoing action, including a refusal to cover for absent colleagues and attendance at only one meeting per week outside pupil sessions.

There was a picket line at Smithycroft Secondary School in Glasgow on Wednesday morning


Mike Corbett, NASUWT National Official Scotland, told the PA news agency that members were "angered" after being asked to take a "significant, real terms pay cut" for the second year in a row amid rampant inflation.

He warned that the dispute is likely to continue unless employers and the Scottish government make an improved offer for all teachers.

Mr Corbett said: "There was a revised offer tabled on November 22 but that revised offer, although it was an improvement for those at the lowest end of the salary scale, was exactly the same offer for all experienced classroom teachers and for some in promoted posts it was actually a worse offer.

"So that was immediately rejected by all of the teacher trade unions and I think until employers and government come back with what is an improved offer for all teachers then I fear the dispute might continue."

He added: "Our members do not want to be on strike, they do not want to be disrupting children's education in any way, but their hope is that this, the ultimate thing they can do, actually brings an end to the dispute by bringing a revised and improved offer."


'Engage constructively'


Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "Strike action is in no-one's interest, least of all learners, parents and carers. We remain committed to a fair, sustainable settlement for Scotland's teachers and will continue to engage teaching unions and Cosla constructively.

"It is very disappointing that the teaching unions have rejected the latest offer - the fourth which has been put to unions - which mirrors the deal accepted by other local government workers.

"The request for a 10% increase for all teachers - even the highest paid - is not affordable within the Scottish government's fixed budget.

"While councils are responsible for managing the impact of industrial action, I expect schools to remain open wherever possible, so that disruption can be minimised. Any closures would follow risk assessments made in individual areas."

Meanwhile the EIS has said its members should not cover for striking colleagues in the two other unions.

It said: "The EIS position is that no member should engage in any duty which is normally carried out by members of another union who are on strike action.

"We are aware that some local authorities are attempting to exert pressure on teachers to provide cover, but the EIS believes that it is unreasonable for our members to be instructed to strike break for colleagues of another trade union carrying out official industrial action in a common dispute.

"The EIS will offer its full support to any member who is subjected to this type of intimidation by their employer."

More strikes have already been announced.

The EIS says its members in primary school members will take part in a national strike on 10 January, while those in secondary schools will walk out the following day.

Sixteen additional days of strikes in January and February have also been announced by the union.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
×