Created on: 20 Dec 2024
The EIS, has announced that it will open a statutory ballot for strike action in Glasgow schools, if Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government do not confirm the reversal of teacher cuts in Glasgow.
The planned ballot, set to open on the 6th of January, will be a key test of the recently announced Scottish Government / COSLA budget agreement, a component of which is a pledge to return teacher numbers to 2023 levels.
Glasgow has already cut teaching posts over the past year and plans to cut more – but in doing so, it would breach the recently-signed agreement with the Scottish Government.
Commenting, Glasgow EIS Secretary Jane Gow said, “Glasgow is in the midst of a programme of education cuts, which will include the loss of 450 teaching posts over a three-year period. This process is already underway, with 172 teaching posts having been cut at the start of this academic year. There is continuing strong support amongst Glasgow teachers to fight these cuts, for the good of education in Glasgow and the young people in our schools.
"Getting over the soon-to be-abolished legal threshold set by UK anti-trade union legislation and that is required to take strike action is a huge challenge – so it is essential that every EIS member in Glasgow who is eligible to vote in this ballot makes use of their vote and shows their clear support for strike action to stop these damaging cuts to education."
Ms Gow added, “The picture has changed significantly in recent weeks, with the budget agreement between the Scottish Government and local authorities which includes a pledge on returning teacher numbers to 2023 levels.
"This means that Glasgow should not only halt its future planned cuts to teacher numbers, it should also reinstate the 172 posts that have already been cut. Glasgow City Council can end the prospect of strike action in schools at a stroke, by confirming that it will abide by the budget agreement reached between the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).
"The Council must deliver on this pledge, and meet its obligations to the learners, teachers, parents and carers within the Glasgow schools’ community."
EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley added, "This is a huge test of credibility for Glasgow City Council, for COSLA and for the Scottish Government. With the ink on the budget agreement, and the pledge on teacher numbers, barely even dry, the largest local authority in Scotland has yet to confirm it will abide by the terms of the agreement.
"Nationally, we have already seen another local authority, Falkirk, take its own plans for deep cuts to education off the table following the budget agreement between the Scottish Government and COSLA. The City of Glasgow must now follow suit, cancel its programme of teaching cuts, and confirm that it will meet its obligations under the budget agreement.
"If the Council fails to do this by the New Year, it faces the prospect of strike action by Glasgow teachers who are angered by the impact of the cuts to learning and teaching provision already, who will be outraged if Glasgow City Council reneges on the agreement in respect of the draft budget, and who remain determined to fight for the future of education in the city, in the best interests of the young people of Glasgow.
"The time is now right for Glasgow City Council to show a bit of festive cheer, and make an early New Year’s resolution to meet the terms of the budget agreement by cancelling its programme of education cuts."
The statutory strike ballot is set to open on Monday 6 January, and run until early February.