Organisation Motions

Motions

Resolutions

51. Council

That this AGM commend the work of Council, EIS representatives, members and staff for the successful launch of the ‘Stand Up for Quality Education' campaign and the success of the campaign to date in raising the issues of pupil behaviour, support for ASN and workload. 

AGM recognises that the aims of the ‘Stand Up for Quality Education’ campaign are fundamental to improve teachers' working conditions and health, safety and wellbeing at work and by so doing, the quality of learning experiences for pupils.

AGM acknowledges that the aims of the ‘Stand Up for Quality Education’ campaign require significant additional investment, resources and cultural change within education, and that these changes may take years to implement in full.

AGM, therefore, instructs Council to commit to the ‘Stand Up for Quality Education’ campaign for a multi-year period and to authorise Executive Committee to allocate EIS resource as deemed necessary to facilitate the campaign.

Carried

52. Council

That this AGM reaffirm that staff are schools’ most important asset in providing quality learning experiences for pupils.

AGM is clear that schools need more teachers to maintain and increase the quality of education; they need more learning assistants in classes, more ASN-qualified teachers, more Support for Learning teachers, and more management time for principal teachers and depute headteachers to ensure every school can support staff and pupils effectively.

All these roles are important and they are intrinsically linked.

AGM reproaches the Scottish Government for its failure to maintain teacher numbers in Scotland for the last two years in succession. AGM rebukes those Councils that have reduced teacher numbers in recent years despite receiving specified Scottish Government funds to maintain teacher numbers.

AGM reaffirms its commitment to campaign to increase the current teacher numbers and to increase the support provided by a range of other roles within schools.

AGM instructs Council to encourage and facilitate Local Associations and Branches to prosecute campaigns and disputes when education staffing cuts are proposed by Councils.

Amendment Scottish Borders Local Association

Add after the last sentence: “AGM instructs Council to lobby the Scottish Government to honour and implement the policy commitments it made in relation to Instrumental Music Tuition in the SNP Manifesto 2021:

• to abolish fees for music and arts education, including instrumental music tuition in schools;
• to mainstream music as a core subject in Scotland’s education system;".

Carried

53. Midlothian Local Association

That this AGM instruct Council to ensure that each Local Association create an action plan based on the findings of the recent Behaviour Survey as well as the other materials published through the SU4QE campaign. The plan should be shared with all members and HQ.

Amendment Edinburgh Local Association

Replace "ensure that" with "encourage and support"; add "to" after "Local Association"; delete final sentence and add ",and to share their plan with HQ." after "campaign".

Carried

Amendment Falls

54. Midlothian Local Association

That this AGM instruct Council to investigate and report on ways to improve the retention within the EIS, and recruitment to the EIS, of those in promoted posts.

Carried

55. Argyll and Bute and North Lanarkshire Local Associations

That this AGM call on Council to negotiate with the Scottish Government and COSLA, for a national and consistent approach for the reporting and recording of violent incidents, and for the creation of a national database for recording and reporting incidents of violence and abuse towards school staff members.

Carried

56. West Dunbartonshire Local Association

That this AGM recognise the right of every worker to withdraw their labour in lawful industrial action in pursuit of a trade dispute and:

1. condemns the UK government's actions in limiting workers' ability to take lawful strike action through Minimum Service Levels.
2. recognises that members have had their salaries deemed by at least one college in Scotland whilst carrying out lawful industrial action.
3. condemns the practice of "deeming" as a way of frustrating workers' ability to carry out lawful industrial action.
4. calls on the Scottish Government to forbid any public body that is sponsored by the Scottish Government or any other employer that is funded from the public purse to deem its employees taking such industrial action.
5. instructs Council to campaign for the right of workers to withdraw their labour in lawful industrial action and for it not to be fettered or reduced by any action or inaction by governments or employers.

Carried

57. North Lanarkshire Local Association

That this AGM call upon Council to lobby the Scottish Government to fund Local Authorities to ensure sufficient permanent teaching posts are available for finishing probationers.

Amendment Edinburgh Local Association

Add at the end "and to highlight the issue of teacher precarity of employment as a part of the Stand Up for Quality Education campaign."

Falls

58. North Lanarkshire Local Association

That this AGM call on Council to campaign with STUC trade unions and COSLA against budget cuts to ensure that Councils are able to provide high quality services to their communities which include education.

Carried

59. Dumfries and Galloway Local Association

That this AGM resolve that Council will explore the practicalities of developing teaching and learning materials for social education in secondary schools covering Rights at Work and the role of trade unions. 

Amendment EIS-FELA

After "secondary schools" add "and colleges".

Carried

60. Glasgow Local Association 

That this AGM instruct Council to investigate and report on a constitutional amendment to provide spaces on Council for Local Association Secretaries, in addition to the current Local Association allocation, as ex-officio members upon their election to that role.

WIthdrawn

61. Edinburgh Local Association

That this AGM resolve to:

1. call on the Scottish and UK governments to:
   1. divest public funds from any companies which sell arms or equipment to the Israeli military and/or which utilise land occupied illegally under international law;
   2. suspend all arms deals with Israel and initiate economic and political sanctions with the aim of pressuring them into ceasefire negotiations.
   3. issue public statements supporting the judgement of the International Court of Justice following South Africa's case against Israel;
2. call on the UK government to resume funding of UNRWA following the failure of Israel to provide evidence that UNRWA staff participated in Hamas military activities.

Carried

62. Glasgow and Dumfries and Galloway Local Associations

That this AGM call on the UK government to:

• end all military collaboration and arms trade with Israel.
• legislate to prohibit trade with the illegal settlements, including a ban on the import of all goods from the illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Furthermore, that this AGM call on the Scottish Government and Scottish Councils to divest from Israeli companies/investment portfolios, as well as companies that sell goods that support the Israeli military campaign.

Carried

63. Edinburgh Local Association

That this AGM resolve to investigate and report on the suitability of the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee as an organisation to which the EIS should affiliate and/or donate.

Carried

64. Dumfries and Galloway Local Association

That this AGM instruct the Council to provide regular, targeted mental health training to EIS employees.

Amendment Edinburgh Local Association

Delete "provide" and replace with "offer".

Carried

65. Glasgow Local Association

That this AGM reaffirm EIS policy in support of the UN call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Palestine and Israel and further agrees to continue support solidarity  demonstrations, meetings and events to this end in collaboration with other trade unions and affiliated organisations. 

Carried

66. Glasgow Local Association

That this AGM agree to continue support for the policy of divestment from companies and the boycott of goods from companies that profit from illegal settlements in the West Bank.

It further agrees to campaign against the UK government's 'Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill'.

Carried

67. South Lanarkshire Local Association

That this AGM instruct Council to review the provision of specialist support for EIS representatives, Local Association Secretaries and other Local Association Office Bearers (lay members) who support members who experience self–harm or expressing suicidal thoughts. 

Carried

68. East Dunbartonshire Local Association

That this AGM extend solidarity to our Colombian sister trade unions' efforts in working to build a fairer and more peaceful society under Gustavo Petros government, and continues to support the work of Justice for Colombia.

Carried

69. Aberdeenshire Local Association

That this AGM agree to support the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign by:

1. writing to the current and any future UK Home Secretary to demand an official enquiry into the events at the Orgreave Coking Plant on 18th June 1984 during the Miners’' Strike and the subsequent treatment of arrested miners;
2. donating £1000 to the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign.

Carried