Created on: 05 Jun 2024
The Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) has unanimously rejected the pay offer made by COSLA on 4th June 2024.
In this formal rejection, the Teachers’ Panel was clear that a pay offer of 2%, from August 2024, followed by a further 1% in May 2025, falls far short of its expectations in relation to the restoration of the value of teachers’ pay.
The Teachers’ Panel remains deeply concerned regarding the significant erosion in the value of teachers’ pay since 2008 and notes that this would not be offset, in any way, by acceptance of an offer that would see the gap between what teachers in Scotland earn, and what they should earn had levels of pay kept in line with levels of inflation, widen to 29% (RPI) or 11% (CPI). Such a scenario would see teachers’ living standards fall further.
The short window of opportunity for a pay settlement to be agreed in time for the implementation date of August 1st 2024 is closing. As such, the Teachers’ Panel, in its rejection of the offer today, emphasises to both COSLA and the Scottish Government, the need for timeous and focused negotiations to ensure that a pay settlement, which marks a step forward in addressing the imperative of restoration of Scottish teachers’ pay, is agreed on time.