Strike action looms over Orkney’s classrooms

Teachers and associated professionals across Scotland, including Orkney, have voted overwhelmingly for strike action over pay.

In a ballot organised by EIS, the country’s biggest teaching union, 96 per cent voted in favour of strike action on a turnout of 71 per cent.

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said the result provided the union with an “extremely strong mandate” for strike action.

“Our members have sent yet another very clear message to their employers in Scottish local authorities and to the Scottish Government that they must do better on teachers’ pay,” said Ms Bradley.

“Our members should have received a pay increase in April but, after months of unjustifiable dither and delay from COSLA and the Scottish Government, we are still waiting for an acceptable offer to be made.

“Quite frankly, our members have had enough of waiting and enough of feeling the financial strain of the cost of living on top of the significant stress of their teaching jobs.”

Ms Bradley also said that since the latest pay offer, a “sub-inflation” five-per-cent offer was rejected almost three months ago, there has been no new offer made by the Scottish Government.

She added that strike action could start this month.