Please note: The Edinburgh Local Association telephone number is 07926 946150. Our email address is edinburghla@eis.org.uk
In order to keep up to date with the latest news we ask that we are kept informed of any changes to your membership or contact information.
You can update your details by logging in to the My EIS section of the website https://www.eis.org.uk/Account/EISLogin or by emailing us on edinburghla@eis.org.uk
Secretary's Update 19 December 2024
Dear EIS Member,
A brief bulletin with two important requests.
CEC Budget Consultation
CEC is consulting all residents about its plans to cut £30 million next year – and this includes asking for views about its planned cuts to school. We will, of course, be making a response as an LA, but the more of you who make individual responses, the better. PLEASE go to https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/ce/edinburghs-budget/ and share your views on what the proposed cuts will mean for the pupils of the city. The deadline is 14th Jan, so the sooner you complete it, the better.
Working for the EIS
If you go to https://www.eis.org.uk/careers you will see info on vacancies with the EIS. One of these is for a part-time admin assistant here in the LA office – with the volume of work that we are dealing with now, Marni needs some additional help. We are able to be very flexible as regards both location and how the core hours (which would be term-time only) will be organised. Please do think about whether you might have a friend with admin experience who would find this sort of working pattern ideal (maybe because of caring responsibilities or other commitments) and encourage them to apply.
Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 18 December 2024
Dear EIS Member,
Can’t believe we’re halfway through the last week of term! I hope it’s going as smoothly as possible… Below are a few important dates to get in your diary before you switch off for the holidays, and a few things for you to think about.
LA AGM – Wednesday 12th March 5-7pm
PLEASE make an effort to come along to the LA AGM. This is the most important meeting in the calendar of the local association – the motions passed drive all our work. It’s also where office bearers report on what we have been doing for the year, and where you, the members, can ask questions. We’ll also hear from National President Allan Crosbie about the wider work of the union. Venue is tbc, but the meeting will be hybrid, which we hope will allow more people to attend. So, please save the date!
Motions to the LA AGM
The main business of the AGM is voting on motions. So, if there is something you feel needs to be a priority moving forward, please consider submitting a motion to the LA AGM. These are best submitted by branches, though individual members are free to put something forward in their own name. If you want advice on what topics are suitable for motions, to frame a motion so that it will be judged competent and so on, Allan Crosbie (LA exec member, and current National President) will be running a quick Teams session on this on 7th January at 4:15. This is a remote session you can join over Teams: Click this link to join (or email edinburghla@eis.org.uk for a calendar invitation).
He’s also happy to speak to individuals about their ideas, and you can contact him via acrosbie@eis.org.uk. There is also some general advice on the website on writing motions. The deadline for submitting motions is noon on 7th February (they should be sent to edinburghla@eis.org.uk) but I would encourage you to get advice in advance for this.
Joining the Local Association Executive
Our local association works best when it works with, and on behalf of, all members. But we can only do that if our local executive is representative of the entire Edinburgh membership. So PLEASE think about joining – especially if you feel that we are not, currently, prioritising things that are important to you. The core commitment is to attend the monthly meetings that are held on Wednesdays between 5-7pm (usually on Teams, though some are hybrid). If you want to find out more about what is involved before committing, drop me an email and I, or one of the other exec members, can chat to you about what we do. Nomination forms for those who do want to stand are here on the MyEIS home page here and the deadline for submitting them is 1st February (though I would urge you do complete them before then). If you have any problems, you can get in touch with us or with membership directly: membership@eis.org.uk.
Other Opportunities to Get More Involved
This same link will also take you to forms to nominate yourself as a delegate to attend the national AGM – this is the main decision-making forum for national EIS so, again, broad representation across the membership is really important. You’ll also find nomination forms for office bearer roles, so if you want to stand as LA Secretary, President, or any of the other posts, please complete these (again, happy to talk to people about what is involved/put them in touch with the relevant person).
I will be sending out a couple more emails with important info before the holidays, but this one is entirely about your opportunities to shape your union, so please do think about how you can get involved.
Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 6 December 2024
Dear EIS member,
Nearly the weekend. And, unbelievably, nearly the holidays… A few quick updates for you.
Contacting the Office
PLEASE use edinburghla@eis.org.uk if you want to get in touch with me. Emails sent to my CEC email address are very likely to be missed. Also remember that you can phone the office on 07926 946150 and that will get you through to Marni.
Writing Motions
One of the main ways that members can influence the priorities of the EIS is by submitting motions – as a democratic union, it is the votes of the members on the motions brought to both local and national General Meetings that governs our work. If there is something you think we should be doing (or not doing) either at local or national level, then you should write a motion calling for action.
If you want to find out how to write motions that are likely to be deemed competent, then you are invited to come along to a session on motion writing which is being run by our National President, and local executive member, Allan Crosbie. It is being run twice on Teams, both starting at 4:15. It is recommended you do this alongside other interested colleagues at your place of work if possible.
The first is being held on Tuesday, 17th December. You can join this meeting here.
The second is being held on Tuesday, 7th January. You can join this meeting here.
To confirm your attendance at one of the sessions or for a calendar invite, please email Marni at edinburghla@eis.org.uk, or Allan at acrosbie@eis.org.uk.
Calling all PSLs
We will be holding a meeting for Pupil Support Leaders at Moray Place on Thursday the 30th of January from 5pm to 6:30pm. The event will be hosted by Local Association President Phill Pearce and Assistant Secretary Tom Britton and will be a chance for PSLs to get together and discuss current and long-standing issues facing PSLs across the city. It will also be an opportunity to discuss how the conditions and workload of PSLs in the city fit within the wider SUFQE campaign.
Light refreshments will be provided, and travel expenses or parking will be reimbursed.
We do hope that you will be able to join us.
Please register your interest at this link so that we have an idea of numbers.
Bhopal Memorial Event – Sunday
If you are going to be in the centre of Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon, you might want to attend the Bhopal Memorial Event – this is a moving ceremony that happens annually. Go to https://www.eis.org.uk/edinburgh/latest and scroll down for details.
More updates next week, including around budgets, which is a massive area of work at the moment. For now, though, I hope you enjoy the weekend.
Stay safe and well (and out of forecast storms…) and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 27 November 2024
Dear EIS member
I hope your week is going well.
CEC Budget – Urgent Action Required
Everyone should have received an email from HQ, with suggested texts for emails to MSPs. PLEASE undertake this action. Without a significant increase in teacher numbers, which needs to be funded by Scottish Government, all our current crises (violence, workload, ASN) will only get worse. Not to mention that so many teachers are, currently, struggling to get permanent jobs… Locally, we are also encouraging Parent Councils to message MSPs, calling on them to ensure that education is properly funded, and we are looking at what other actions we can do to bring pressure to bear regarding funding public services. Do, also, complete the consultation around the Tourist Tax, as that would be a significant additional revenue stream for Edinburgh (guide is here).
Flexible work requests
Everyone has a right to make a flexible work request, and to have it seriously considered. However, if granting the request would have a negative impact on service delivery (e.g. if it would be hard to backfill) then employers can refuse the request. Another impact of the financial pressures on schools is that it is getting harder and harder for them to be flexible in how they accommodate staff trying to change their hours. So, if you are thinking about making such a request, I would urge you to talk to your HT at the earliest possible opportunity, and to talk through the different options that might work. If you think your request is being refused unreasonably, we can support in appealing it, but recent experience is that, in most cases, when requests are turned down, it is for valid reasons. My best advice is, the earlier you begin talking to your manager about what might work, the higher your chance of finding a reasonable compromise. And, of course, if we had more teachers in the system, it would be easier to grant these requests (another reason to write to your MSP!).
St Andrew’s Day Anti-Racism March and Rally – this Saturday (30th)
I hope many of you will be joining us on this Saturday’s march against racism. Now, more than ever, it is important that trade unions stand together with other civic groups and individuals to oppose racism and the rise of the far right. Details of the march are here. A few of us will be meeting at Waverley at 9am, outside Pret, with the aim of getting the 9.15 train through to Glasgow – we’ll have EIS flags, so you’ll be able to spot us if you want to travel through together. We will refund train fares.
Exploring Leadership Skills for Educators - Friday (29th)
On the latest events page you will also see information on a course, from our EIS Learning Reps and University of Strathclyde, that is being held at the EIS HQ offices in Moray Place.
Heather’s last week
This is, quite possibly, the last member bulletin that Heather will ever be sending out (I suppose it is not impossible I send something else out on Friday, which is her last day…). I want to put on record my thanks to her for all the work she has done over the years, supporting me and all Edinburgh members. Her kindness and professionalism have been invaluable. I, for one, could not possibly have done this job without her unfailing support and cheerfulness, and I owe her a huge debt. Remember that we will, in January, be gathering to thank her for all her work – go here and scroll down to see details and sign up. Alternatively, you can email her using edinburghla@eis.org.uk (but only until Friday – she won’t be reading work emails after then!) , or if you have messages you want me to pass one, send them to amurphy@eis.org.uk. I’m sure you will all want to join me in thanking her for all her work, and wishing her a long, joyful and well-deserved retirement. She will be very much missed.
Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 15 November 2024
Dear EIS member
Almost the weekend! A few updates for you before you sign off…
CEC Budget
The budget situation is looking extremely alarming. The next key date will be when the Scottish Government publishes its draft budget at the beginning of December – we are already looking at what pressure we can bring to bear to try to ensure that money that comes into Holyrood from Westminster is devolved down to local authorities, so that education (and other core public services) can be protected,, and there should be more information about that soon. In the meantime, though, PLEASE take time to complete the CEC consultation on the tourist tax. This could be a significant source of additional revenue, that is desperately needed. There is a guide and link here .
ASLS Review
As many will know, there is to be a further round of parental engagement before any changes to the ASLS structure are implemented. The implications of this delay are still being worked through – clearly the most urgent matter is addressing what is happening to those on fixed term contracts that are due to end soon. We have asked that this be addressed as soon as possible, and I am hopeful updated information will be issued soon. We will be continuing to work hard on this and other aspects of the review.
St Andrew’s Day March and Rally
Thanks to those who have already been in touch to say they will come along. Do, please, email if you are going to join us at this important event – remember that travel costs can be refunded. More details here .
An Evening of Queer and Trans Poetry - 19 November
The ETUC is promoting this event, which is being organised by UCU and others. It promises to be an interesting and affirming evening – more details here .
Hands Off Gaza and Lebanon, National Demonstration - 23 November
The EIS, along with many other trade unions, is supporting this demo, which is happening in Glasgow on Saturday 23rd. Again, you will find more details here . Several Edinburgh EIS members are planning to attend, and the latest plan is to meet outside the Pret at Waverley at 9.30am. If you are planning to go, please drop me an email and we will try to coordinate everyone. Again, travel expenses can be reimbursed.
I hope you have a great weekend. Remember that we will have limited admin support in the office next week, so please be patient with us.
Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind.
Alison
Secretary's Update 11 November 2024
Dear EIS Member,
I hope you enjoyed the weekend. A few key updates for you.
Violence in Schools
Some of you will already have seen this news article, outlining the extent of violence in Edinburgh’s schools. We continue to campaign to raise awareness of this issue, and to demand greater action at local and national level, to enable us all to have the safe working and learning environments we deserve. We are in intensive talks with CEC about ways of improving support for staff around this issue, and we hope to have updated advice to schools soon. In the meantime, though, school H&S committees should be leading on this – if you have concerns, raise them with both your line manager and your school rep/H&S rep. If concerns remain, or if you are unlucky enough to be in a school without a rep, get in touch with the office and we will try to help.
CEC Budget and the Tourist Tax
A key driver behind the rise in violence and aggression is the ongoing cuts to education budgets. We HAVE to get more money into education! CEC is currently consulting on the tourist tax, and it is vital that the responses make it clear that Edinburgh’s citizens want much of the money raised to go into public services, including schools. If you live in Edinburgh, PLEASE take time to complete the consultation and encourage all your friends and family to do the same. You can find links, and a guide to what we think will be helpful answers, here: eis.org.uk/edinburgh/budget2025.
Islamophobia Awareness Session
Hopefully many of you have already seen information related to this CEC session on tackling Islamophobia, which is happening on Thursday. As well as the session itself, the flyer also contains links to some really useful resources, and I would encourage you to have a look.
Changes to your contract/moving jobs/etc. part way through a school year
Teacher pay is complicated by the fact that our holidays are not spread evenly throughout the year – and further complicated by different authorities having different distributions of leave. This means that anyone who changes local authority part way through the year, or who moves into or out of a promoted post, will be subject to a salary reconciliation. There is an explanation of how this works here on the Orb. It is not straightforward, so I would say that the key message is, be aware of the possibility if you are planning a move and do check the numbers, so that you are not caught unawares.
Reduced admin support in the LA Office next week
TOIL, annual leave, etc. means there will be reduced support in the office next week. Obviously we will continue to deal with urgent queries, but other things may have to wait. If you have been in touch about something important in the last few weeks and haven’t yet had a response, please email me ASAP and I will do my best to get back to you before this Friday. If any queries can wait until the week beginning 25th November, that would be a great help.
I hope you have a good week. Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 7 November 2024
Dear EIS Member,
I hope your week is going well. A few updates for you.
Tax
Those who are concerned about info received from HMRC might want to check out this - Pay awards – The City of Edinburgh Council - from CEC, which outlined the actions they took, and what this meant for how tax would be processed. It also has a link to the HMRC website, which is where you can look at your own individual situation.
St Andrew’s Day March and Rally – Saturday 30th November
The annual STUC anti-racism march and rally (the 40th!) is fast approaching. See https://www.eis.org.uk/edinburgh/latest for more details. As always, the EIS intends to have a big presence, and it would be great if we had lots of members from Edinburgh. At the moment, our plan is to get the train across, and we will refund ticket costs. If you think you can come along, please drop an email to edinburghla@eis.org.uk and we can make detailed travel arrangements a bit nearer the time (it’ll also help me judge how many flags to bring along).
EIS Social Justice and Solidarity Conference ‘Still We Rise’ - 17th and 18th January, Radisson Blu, Glasgow
Please have a look at the info about this conference Still We Rise | EIS, and come along if you can. Whilst some members will want to attend both days, others might only attend on Saturday. It should be a really useful and interesting event, and it would be good to get attendance from across the entire membership, particularly those who may not normally feel that engaged in our activities.
CEC Budget
Edinburgh EIS has been in touch with as many Parent Councils as we hold information for, asking for support in campaigning against the proposed education cuts in February’s budget. If you are a parent of a child in a CEC school, please get in touch with your child’s school’s Parent Council to check they have received our email, and encourage them to engage with us. If they haven’t received anything, email edinburghla@eis.org.uk, ideally with a contact name and email address, and we will try again.
Reasonable Adjustments
A reminder that all members with disabilities or long-term health conditions are entitled to reasonable adjustments. There are still far too many cases where school staff are not getting the sorts of adjustments that would automatically be provided to pupils. You can find the basic guide to what you should expect here: https://orb.edinburgh.gov.uk/employee-wellbeing/reasonable-adjustments/3. I’d particularly urge neurodiverse members to request a neurodiversity assessment (done via OH – speak to your line manager/HT/BM) to see what supports can be put in place. If you think there is more that needs to be done, speak to your rep in the first instance and, if issues remain, get in touch with the LA office.
I hope the rest of your week goes well. Stay safe and well and, as always, let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 28 October 2024
Dear EIS member
I hope you are well, and had a good weekend. A few very quick updates for you.
CEC payslips and pay dates
As you know, CEC has been updating its HR system. This has meant that payslips for October have not been available as early as usual. However, they should be available to review today. CEC is encouraging all employees to check them carefully, to ensure that they are correct. If you do spot any errors, or are unclear about anything, then the first thing you should do is either talk to your Business Manager, or contact the askHR team on 0131 469 5555. As per usual, we should all be paid on the last Thursday of the month, so 31st October. Remember that this month will not include the uplift and back pay resulting from our pay award – that will happen in November.
Writing successful motions for EIS AGMs
The EIS prides itself on being a member-led organisation. The main way that members can direct the work of the union is by proposing motions that go to the local and national AGMs, where they are debated and voted on – those that were voted through then form the basis of the union’s work in the coming year. This applies for both local and national actions that members want to see carried out. This means that it is important that members understand what things are suitable topics for motions, and how to write motions that are compliant with the standing orders of the union. To this end, our national President, Allan Crosbie, will be running a training session on Monday 2nd December on Teams at 16.15. This is open to all Edinburgh members, though it will be particularly useful for reps, LA Executive members and anyone who has an issue where they want to see the EIS taking action. You can sign up for the course using this link or you can use this Teams link Join the meeting now
Winter social – 23rd January 2025
Don’t forget to register for the winter social. As well as a chance to meet fellow members and enjoy an informal get-together, this will also be an opportunity to mark Heather’s retirement, and thank her for all she has done for all of us over the years.
I hope you have a good week. Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 10 October 2024
Dear EIS Member,
I do hope your week has been going well, and that you are looking forward to a good break over the half-term. This is quite a short update, but it does have some important information.
CEC Payroll Update
As has been mentioned already, CEC has been updating its HR and payroll systems. This should all now be live, and employees should be able to get access to their HR info. You can find out more here: https://orb.edinburgh.gov.uk/new-hr-payroll-system
Teacher Pay Award
Hopefully everyone has seen the communications from CEC about when they will be applying the uplift resulting from the recent pay award. Just in case anyone missed it, you can find the info here – Pay awards – The City of Edinburgh Council – though there is a summary here for those who cannot access the orb link.
ASL Review
The ASL Review has reached its midpoint, and there have been a few changes to the initial proposal (including acceding to a union request to extend the closing date, to allow for the fact that next week is half-term). The final date is now 8th November. Information can all be found on the Orb here. As I am typing, the midpoint presentation and updated structure hasn’t been uploaded, but I have asked that these are placed on the page ASAP, and they should be there by the time you are reading this. I would continue to urge all members to read the proposals and think about the impacts.
CEC Budget
As we have talked about at length, CEC’s budget situation is not good… As part of trying to address this, the council are asking all employees to think about ways to save money and how to prioritise its services. I’ve spoken to many members who have bemoaned areas where they feel the council is wasting resources (procurement is an obvious one). This is your chance to point out the issues, and to suggest solutions – the more detailed and specific you can be, the better, and I would urge everyone to complete this survey before it closes on 31st October. The first few questions are locality focused, but they can be skipped if you don’t have anything to say – the key ones are towards the end. The survey has already been shared in a newsbeat article but, in case you have missed it, the link is here: Colleague Budget Engagement 2024 - City of Edinburgh Council - Citizen Space. Please do take a bit of time to fill it in.
I hope the last couple of days go well, and that you have a relaxing holiday, when it finally arrives. Stay safe and well, whether you are travelling or staying at home, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 7 October 2024
Dear EIS Member,
I hope you are well and looking forward to half-term. It has been a particularly busy few weeks, and I think we are all in need of a break. Before that, though, some key updates.
ASL Review
This continues to be a major area of work. We are in ongoing discussions with a range of different stakeholders around the proposals, with particularly complex discussions around those members on temporary contracts/in acting up roles, etc. I hope that I will soon be able to respond to the individual queries that have been coming in. I’m also going to hold an additional meeting for those members who are in the scope of the review on Tuesday 22nd October at 4pm on Teams. You can join at the link here or reply to this email if you want a calendar invite.
I would urge ALL members to read the inclusion review documentation, regardless of whether you are in scope or are school based. How we support pupils with additional needs is clearly crucial, so any restructuring of support will impact on all of us. You can find information about the proposals here. I know some branches are planning to hold meetings to discuss their views on the proposals, and that might be something you might want to consider in your school.
I’d also remind members of the HT/DHT network that you can either get in touch with me directly to share your views on the proposal, or you can join the Teams meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 8th) at 5.30pm that we are holding to discuss this. To join, click the link here or reply to this email for a calendar invite.
Education for Peace – Informal Discussion Meeting on 10th October
As a response to the United Nations International Day of Peace on September 21st, the soft launch of the EIS Education for Peace policy booklet the previous day at EIS Council, and the TUC's support for a workplace day of action in solidarity with Palestine, Edinburgh Local Association is holding an informal discussion meeting on 10 October at 46 Moray Place 5pm-7pm. This is a chance for members to share ideas, talk through approaches to Peace Education, look at resources etc. If you are planning on coming along, do register here.
Other Queries
Given all that has been happening around the review, it has been particularly challenging to keep up with other queries. If you emailed me and have not had a response, I do apologise. I will be trying, in the coming days, to catch up on some of the backlog, but I cannot promise I will manage this before we break for half term. If your query is particularly urgent, please do message me again, or you can try to reach me via my mobile. If it can wait a little while, then that would be helpful. Do also remember that the other office bearers might be able to assist. If your query relates to health and safety matters, or to special schools, you can email Edinburgh LA Asst Secretary Tom Britton asstsecretaryedinburghla@eis.org.uk. If it relates to ICT, you can email Edinburgh LA President Phill Pearce edinburghlapresident@eis.org.uk. Or if it relates to primary school matters, both Phill and Edinburgh LA Vice President Claire Robertson edinburghlavicepresident@eis.org.uk can help.
Good luck with the rest of the week, and best wishes for a restful half-term when it finally arrives (though I may be emailing before then). In the meantime, stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other – a message that is more and more important as pressures build.
Alison
Secretary's Update 20 September 2024
Dear EIS Member
I hope you enjoyed both the long weekend and the consequently shorter working week. Though I certainly feel like I’ve tried to pack 5 days’ work into 4, and I imagine it has been the same for many of you. A few updates for you before the weekend starts.
ASL Review
The formal launch of the ASL Review took place on Tuesday. Obviously, in the coming weeks, our chief focus will be on supporting those members who are in the scope of the review, and who are looking at very significant changes to terms and conditions, working patterns, deletion of posts, etc. More on that momentarily. However, there is no doubt that such a significant review will have a knock-on impact on all of us, and on our ability to support pupils with additional needs. I would urge all members to read the proposals, which you can find here on the Orb, to think about what it might mean in your setting, and to raise any questions via the dedicated mailbox inclusion@edinburgh.gov.uk (you might want to cc me in, for info). I will, in the coming weeks, be reaching out to reps, our HT/DHT network, and other groups, to get their views, so as to better inform our response.
As for those colleagues who are directly in scope… Firstly, thanks to those who have cc’d me into the questions you are raising about the review. That really is very helpful. I hope you will understand that I might not reply individually to all of those messages – but they are certainly helping us to shape our response, and the questions we will be raising in a number of forums. What I will endeavour to do in the coming days (but it might well take some time) is get back to individuals who have specific concerns about matters related to terms and conditions, their own situation, etc. Some of these will be resolved quite quickly (I believe clarity has already been issued around the retention of Chartered Teachers) and others may take longer. Given the complex nature of some of the queries, I’d ask for your patience for another week or so – but if you haven’t had a reply by 1st October, do get back to me.
We have already arranged two meetings for those members in scope. The first is this coming Wednesday (25th) at 4pm. This is a hybrid meeting, being held at EIS HQ, 46 Moray Place and on Teams (please click here to join the Wednesday meeting online). If you want to attend in person, you MUST email us before Wednesday to let us know, purely so we know how many to expect and can make appropriate arrangements. The next meeting will be Friday 1st November, at 1.30pm – same arrangements, though the link to join is here. We are also arranging smaller meetings for specific groups of impacted staff and can set up further meetings if necessary.
CEC Budget
This review links closely to our wider Save Our Schools Campaign on the CEC budget, and we will be working hard to ensure councillors, parents, and the public are kept fully informed of all that is happening, and is likely to happen, both now and in the coming years. A big part of this is challenging the lack of permanent teaching roles within CEC – something we have been raising with the council for some time now, and which the ASL review has thrown into even sharper relief.
Reasonable Adjustments
Anyone with a long-term health condition or disability is entitled to expect their employer to make reasonable adjustments to allow them to fulfil their duties. This is something that can work extremely well – but does not happen consistently enough, and there are too many instances of people not getting the support they need. CEC is committed to rolling out better support and training – but, as always, this is being hindered by lack of resource. I hope to lay on some sessions for members and reps to outline some things that might help but, in the meantime, I would urge both members who might need such adjustments and, very importantly, anyone with line management responsibility to make sure you are familiar with the CEC toolkit, as it signposts people towards the supports available.
Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry
The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is inviting young people, teachers, and other education professionals from across Scotland to share their experiences of the pandemic. If you want to contribute, follow this link.
I hope you enjoy your weekend – and that the weather improves for all of us. Regardless of whether we do get any more sun, I hope you stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 6 September 2024
Dear EIS member
It’s nearly the weekend. Let’s hope the weather improves for it…
Ballot on pay offer – PLEASE VOTE!
Everyone should have received an email with information about the latest pay award, including the reasons why the Salaries Committee is recommending accept. However, as it said, the ultimate decision lies with the membership, so it is vital that everyone makes sure their voice is heard. This is a tight turnaround – the ballot closes at noon on Wednesday – so, if you haven’t voted, please do so now. If you didn’t receive your ballot email (and If it’s not in your junk or spam folders) then email the EIS membership department.
New HR and payroll system
The old system shuts down on Thursday 12th so, if there is any information you need to download and save, that needs to happen before then. More information is here on the Orb.
CEC Budget
On Tuesday, the EIS made a deputation to the Education, Children and Families Committee about the devastating impact the proposed cuts will have on our ability to deliver quality education to the children of Edinburgh. You can see the webcast here (our deputation was the first) and you can read about some of the key points we made here. We’ll continue to lobby around this in the coming weeks, including meeting with councillors, contacting parent groups and speaking to the press. We need to make sure we Save Our Schools!
Other issues
We are, at the same time, continuing to work on a range of other issues, including ICT in schools, staff wellbeing, workload, the lack of permanent contracts etc. The Edinburgh LA Executive are looking at ways we can further support branches in tackling the challenges we face in our working lives. A key to making positive change is collective action at school level (we are a union, after all). If you think it would be helpful to have one of the office bearers come out to meet with your branch, do please get in touch. We are keen to have more branch meetings, and to talk to members about how we can better work together.
Do enjoy your weekend, and don’t forget to vote! Stay safe and well, and keep on being kind.
Alison
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