A teaching union is urging its members in Dumfries and Galloway to accept a new pay offer.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has suspended all planned strike action – including walkouts due to take place in Dumfries and Galloway this week.
The decision to put industrial action on hold came after talks with the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) resulted in a new deal being put on the table.
Members are now being consulted on the offer, which would see a seven per cent rise backdated to April, a further five per cent at the start of next month and another two per cent at the start of 2024.
EIS general secretary, Andrea Bradley, said: “The view of our negotiators is that this deal represents the best that can be achieved in the current political and financial climate without a much more prolonged campaign of industrial action.
“It is through the determination and collective action of teachers and associated professionals across Scotland, led by EIS members, that we have improved this pay offer from an initial two per cent for the current year.
“This has been a long dispute which has been challenging for all concerned.
“Teachers have taken strike action as a last resort, and that strike action has delivered an improved pay offer that the EIS can credibly put to its members with a recommendation to accept.”
Teachers staged walkouts on Tuesday and Wednesday last week as they cranked up their efforts to secure a 10 per cent pay rise.
A further 20 days of rolling strike action was announced, which would have hit Dumfries and Galloway schools at the end of March.
And teachers at schools in the Mid Galloway and Wigtown west ward of Councillor Katie Hagmann, who is COSLA’s resources spokeswoman, were due to walk out on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week.
But all strike action has been suspended while members vote on the new proposal, with the ballot set to close on Friday.
Councillor Hagmann said: “Council leaders are clear that it is in all of our interests, not least those of children, young people and families, to conclude the teachers’ pay negotiations as quickly as possible and bring back stability and certainty in our schools.”
Not all teachers have welcomed the offer. General secretary of the NASUWT union, Dr Patrick Roach, described the offer “a paltry improvement”. It will with industrial action, including action short of a strike, while it consults with members.
Education Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, added: “I welcome the EIS’s decision to suspend industrial action while they consider this offer.
“We have worked closely with the unions to compromise and have arrived at a deal which is fair, affordable, and sustainable for everyone involved.”
