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Glasgow teachers vote to strike in cuts protest

PA Media A picture of a classroom, with a box of pens, rulers and othe school equipment in focus and out of focus school pupils in the background, wearing blue uniformsPA Media
Glasgow City Council is seeking a reduction of 450 teaching roles within three years

Glasgow teachers have voted to strike in protest at cuts to education services.

Members of the the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teaching union who took part in the ballot voted 95% to 5% in favour of walking out unless the ongoing programme of cuts is halted and reversed.

Glasgow City Council decided to scrap 450 posts over a three-year period as part of a savings drive.

The union have argued the cuts will harm teaching standards and lead to increased workloads for staff.

The EIS union has campaigned against the savings since they were announced last year.

EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said the ballot sent a "very clear message" to Glasgow City Council regarding the cuts.

She said: "The impact of the cuts is already being felt in schools across Glasgow, with in the region of 300 teaching posts having been removed already by the council.

"This is having a profoundly negative impact on the operation of Glasgow's schools, a detrimental impact on the educational experiences of pupils across the city, some of whom are the most socio-economically deprived in Scotland, and is compounding what can only be described as crisis levels of teacher workload."

Ms Bradley added that the local authority's plans for education have been "a disgrace."

'Financial room'

A particular concern raised is the impact of cuts on schools that cater for pupils with additional support needs.

EIS Glasgow local association secretary Jane Gow said the council now had extra financial room to stop the cuts, due to an increase to the council budget and a cap on increasing council tax being lifted.

Last autumn the EIS polled members regarding strike action, with 90% in favour - however it fell short of the required 50% turnout figure to let industrial action go ahead.

Glasgow City Council previously stressed that no teachers in permanent jobs would be made redundant, with savings made by not filling vacant posts or reducing staff on temporary contracts.

The education budget covers more than half the local authority's direct expenditure, with the council saying it needed to look at every option to make savings.

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: "The EIS has notified us of the outcome of their statutory ballot and their mandate for potential strike action."