The national council of the EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, has today agreed to open a consultative industrial action ballot of members over teachers’ class-contact time.
A formal dispute was declared in February, amid frustration over a lack of progress towards the Scottish government’s 2021 manifesto commitment to reduce maximum weekly class-contact time by 90 minutes, from 22.5 to 21 hours per week.
The EIS will ballot members to seek their views on industrial action.
Union general secretary Andrea Bradley described the 2021 pledge as key to addressing “the excessive workload levels that plague the profession” but said there had been “absolutely no progress towards delivery”.
International data shows that teachers in Scotland spend a larger chunk of their week with classes than teachers do in many other countries.
EIS salaries convener Des Morris said there was “not even a set of proposals” on the contact-time promise, so members’ patience was “now at an end”.
He added: “The declaration of a formal dispute via the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers three months ago, intended to focus minds, has not brought anything from the Scottish government and [local authorities’ body] Cosla.”
The EIS will open the consultative ballot at its annual general meeting in Aviemore in early June. It will run until after schools’ summer break.
Mr Morris said: “The Scottish government and Cosla should take this as a clear warning - we expect this key manifesto promise to be delivered, and will take all possible steps to ensure that it is in order to improve the working conditions of teachers and the learning conditions of pupils.”
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