The Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) recently declared a formal dispute following the failure of COSLA and the Scottish Government to table a proposal on the nature and timescales for a reduction of class contact time to a maximum of 21 hours per week, as a step towards the alleviation of teachers’ workload.

Following COSLA and the Scottish Government’s inability to table a proposal by a previously set deadline of 12 noon on Monday 3rd February, the Teachers’ Panel met to consider its response. It was the unanimous view of panel members that the abject failure to realise publicly stated commitments and make meaningful progress on the promise to reduce class contact time to a 21 hour maximum, left no option but the declaration of a formal dispute.

In declaring the dispute, the Teachers’ Panel called on both COSLA and the Scottish Government to commit swiftly to discussions towards a resolution of the dispute that, had they acted as repeatedly stated they would, could have been avoided.

The Scottish Government and COSLA have been completely unable to even begin to make meaningful progress on an improvement to teachers’ working conditions

Commenting, Des Morris, EIS Salaries Convener and SNCT Teachers’ Side Joint Chair, said, “It is frankly beyond belief that after years of delay, the Scottish Government and COSLA have been completely unable to even begin to make meaningful progress on an improvement to teachers’ working conditions despite publicly having committed to do so.”

“The Scottish Government was elected in 2021 on a manifesto that, among other promises to the electorate, committed to reducing class contact time for teachers to a maximum of 21 hours per week as a way of reducing teacher workload which continues to be unsustainably excessive.”

“It is time for both COSLA and the Scottish Government to demonstrate, in reality, their commitment to addressing the unsustainable workload of Scotland’s Teachers. They must now undertake all that is necessary to negotiate an end to this dispute without any delay.”