Issue - meetings

(i)       to agree points 1 and 2 of the motion;

(ii)       to note that CoSLA, and the Scottish Government, continue to work with Trade Unions for the pay element of the current offer to be paid as soon as possible in lieu of a finalised settlement;

(iii)      to note that, as instructed by Full Council on 11 January 2023, a letter has been sent to both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking them to provide all devolved nations with increased, sustainable and recurring funding;

(iv)      to agree that the Council has no additional funding for pay, and therefore any enhanced pay offer to the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers and workforce must be fully funded by the Scottish Government and include sufficient funding to maintain parity for other bargaining groups; and

(v)      to instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills noting the Council’s concerns for the education of our children and young people, if all parties cannot reach a settlement in this dispute and to urgently produce a fair deal for teachers.

At the commencement of this item, the Committee received an update from Ms Kirsten Foley, Employee Relations and Wellbeing Manager on the current position.

The Committee had before it a Notice of Motion by Councillor Blake in the following terms:-

“That the Committee:-

(1)      Notes with concern that notification of strike action has been received from four of the teacher’s unions;

(2)      Agrees that young people’s education has been severely impacted by the pandemic and that teachers are key to successful recovery;

(3)      Agrees that hard working teachers across Scotland have gone above and beyond as a result of the pandemic but also as a result of years of mismanagement and neglect by the Scottish Government;

(4)      Recognises that this is a national dispute which can only be resolved by SNP Ministers at Holyrood;

(5)      Calls for COSLA to press the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills urging them to do everything possible to avoid or minimise industrial action and its impact upon our children, young people, parents and guardians; and

(6)      Instructs the Chief Executive to formally write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills noting the Council’s concerns for the education of our children and young people if the Scottish Government cannot reach a settlement in this dispute and to urgently produce a fair deal for teachers.”

Councillor Blake moved her motion and explained the rationale behind her request.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to agree points 1 and 2 of the motion;

(ii)       to note that CoSLA, and the Scottish Government, continue to work with Trade Unions for the pay element of the current offer to be paid as soon as possible in lieu of a finalised settlement;

(iii)      to note that, as instructed by Full Council on 11 January 2023, a letter had been sent to both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking them to provide all devolved nations with increased, sustainable and recurring funding;

(iv)      to agree that the Council had no additional funding for pay, and therefore any enhanced pay offer to the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers and workforce must be fully funded by the Scottish Government and include sufficient funding to maintain parity for other bargaining groups; and

(v)      to instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills noting the Council’s concerns for the education of our children and young people, if all parties cannot reach a settlement in this dispute and to urgently produce a fair deal for teachers.