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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Robbie Chalmers

Schools across Perth and Kinross shut as teachers resume strike action over pay and conditions

Schools across Perth and Kinross will close for three days over the next week as teachers resume strike action over pay and conditions.

The council confirmed the national walkouts planned for January 10, 11 and 17.

All primary schools and Early Learning Centres, including Fairview School, will be shut today (January 10) due to the walkout, taking place nationwide.

Secondary schools will remain open today but will close on Wednesday, January 11 before reopening on Thursday.

Then next Tuesday, January 17, every Perth and Kinross Council school and ELC setting will be closed, including Fairview School.

All schools and ELC settings will then reopen on Wednesday, January 18.

The action from Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA) and NASUWT comes as members seek an improvement on the Scottish Government’s five per cent pay increase offer (including a rise of up to 6.85 per cent for the lowest paid staff).

All unions are seeking a minimum 10 per cent increase, which education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville previously said was “not affordable” and that the latest offer was “fair”.

Fairview School and Nursery (Perthshire Advertiser)

It follows previous nationwide industrial action on November 24, which saw all Perth and Kinross schools close in what was the biggest Scottish teachers’ strike in nearly 40 years.

Speaking on Friday, higher and further education minister Jamie Hepburn said: “If you actually look at what we have offered, it is a 6.85 per cent uplift for the lowest paid teachers, five per cent for most and £3000 for those earning £60,000 or more.

“That would represent a 21.8 per cent cumulative pay increase for most teachers since 2018.”

He added: “This is a fair and fundamentally an affordable offer and it would ensure that teachers in Scotland remain by some measure the best paid teaching staff in the UK.

“We want to make sure we have that edge for teachers in Scotland and the offer we have got on the table would ensure that.”

An EIS Perth and Kinross spokesperson said union members are “extremely angry about their treatment” by COSLA and the Scottish Government and the strike action is the result of “broken promises” to Scotland’s teachers.

Fully-qualified teachers in Scotland are currently paid between £33,729 and £42,336.

Despite the closures free school meal payments will be made directly to those eligible and who are in receipt of qualifying benefits, for any class closures.

School lets will remain open.

Any urgent amendments to these plans will be communicated via the school’s normal communication channels.

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