President Adam Sutcliffe, chairing his first meeting of Council, welcomed members to the first meeting of Council for this academic year.

Executive Committee

Vice-President Mark Smith presented the report of Executive Committee, and highlighted the recent strong result in the consultative industrial action ballot over teacher workload. “This ballot result, sent a very strong message to both the Scottish Government and COSLA of our members’ commitment to seeing the delivery of this manifesto pledge,” said Mr Smith.

Following a recent resolution by Council, a paper reviewing recent Amnesty International reports on Gaza, the West Bank and Palestine was approved. Mr Smith told Council that, “This paper should be used for continued campaigning for a just and lasting resolution to the Palestine/Israel conflict and to support recognition of the Palestine state.”

Mr Smith told Council that a paper formalising the basis for EIS participation in counter-demos against the far right had been approved.

Andrew Fullwood (Glasgow) asked Mr Smith for an update on plans for supporting the Scotland Demands Better campaign. “The Scotland Demands Better campaign, which the EIS has thrown its weight behind, has become more important than ever.”

Mr Fullwood was advised that email communications had gone out to members, and that the EIS will continue to send further information out to members. A social media information campaign is underway and the EIS is paying for buses, and will support other travel expenses, to encourage members to attend the campaign rally in Edinburgh.

Education Committee

Convener Susan Quinn told Council that the EIS would be giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Education Committee on restraint & seclusion in schools. The Committee also considered updates on all areas of reform including developments in Stage 3 of the Education (Scotland) Bill.

On ASN matters, the Committee discussed updates in work across ASN activities, exploring when and how to best put forward the concerns of EIS members on the increase of ASN in establishments and the impact this has on teacher wellbeing and workload, and the ability to provide for all pupils.

Employment Relations

Vice-Convener Jacqui MacKenzie told Council that, at its June meeting, 24 applications were considered and 24 grants totalling £68,000 were authorised this included homologation of 10 emergency grants which had previously been authorised by the Convener, Vice Convener and the Accountant.

In August, the Committee considered 21 applications. 20 grants totalling £47,900 were authorised with one application requiring further information. 17 emergency grants authorised by the Convener, Vice Convener and the Accountant were homologated.

Equality Committee

Convener Nicola Fisher advised Council that the Committee noted an oral report on the draft EIS Guidance: Addressing Misinformation and Disinformation Against Transgender People, which will be finalised shortly.

The Committee also received an update on the EIS Early Years Welcome Packs, with 641 packs having been distributed to date. Packs are available on request from EIS HQ. “There is not a shortage of need for these, so we want to get as many as possible out to young people who can benefit from them,” said Ms Fisher.

Salaries Committee

Convener Des Morris, reporting on the Scottish Government’s 21 hours contact time commitment, noted that SNCT meeting of 25 June received no scoping paper from either the Scottish Government or COSLA, despite a promise to deliver a paper by that date.

At a special SNCT meeting on 20 August, COSLA tabled a paper highlighting “difficulties and complexities” in implementation of the manifesto commitment and the need for the commitment to be fully funded.

The Scottish Government tabled a paper in response to the COSLA paper highlighting that ministers wished to consider the potential implications of the COSLA paper and also proposing elements to be included within a workplan for the SNCT to take forward as a matter of urgency, with the aim of developing a clear route map for delivery. The Teachers’ Side agreed with the Scottish Government proposal but stressed that the work must indeed be undertaken as a matter of urgency.

On pay, Mr Morris reminded Council that the SNCT has, thus far, received two pay offers from the employers’ side – the first was for an undifferentiated offer of 3%, which was unanimously rejected by the teachers’ side. The second, received in mid-June, was for an undifferentiated 4% in year one, and 3.5% in year two. This offer was also unanimously rejected by the teachers’ side. The offer was rejected due to the lack of any significant restorative element in the offer, and the lack of any protection against inflation.

On the reclassification of back pay, responding to a question from Graham Keir (Fife), Mr Morris said, “We are pursuing this both legally with councils, and also at a national level with HMRC. The third option, which remains open to us, is to engage politically with individual elected representatives in the affected local authority areas, in a coordinated fashion, to seek a resolution for members. This may well include the declaration of local disputes in the affected areas.”

Motions

Supporting humanitarian work in Gaza

Phill Pearce & Helen Haines (Edinburgh) successfully moved and seconded a motion, calling on the EIS to make separate £10,000 donations to four organisations providing humanitarian relief in Gaza.

Moving the motion, Mr Pearce said, “It has been quite a couple of weeks in the news cycle. Earlier this week, a UN enquiry concluded that Israel has been committing Genocide in Gaza – a view that many individuals came to a long time ago.”

“The organisations in this motion are there on the ground, day in and day out, and they need our support. Passing this motion will send a strong message of our support for the Palestinian people, and that we will not be silent.”

The motion was approved unanimously.

Sheku Bayou Enquiry

The EIS will invite human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar to address a meeting of Council, to provide an update on developments in the Public Inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayou, following a successful motion from Claire Robertson and Louise Bishop (Edinburgh), incorporating an amendment by Paula McEwan (Inverclyde).

Moving the motion, Ms Robertson said, “The EIS has stood in solidarity, within the trade union movement, against racism and for a fair justice system for all. In witnessing the recent rise of the far and populist right, we must not accept a police force that is institutionally racist.”

Seconding, Ms Bishop said, “We need to keep this case to the forefront, and we need to see real change. Sheku Bayou’s name must never be forgotten.”

The right to protest

The EIS will campaign with other trade unions and affiliated organisations against the criminalisation of protest using antiterrorism laws and pledge to continue mobilising in schools, colleges and universities and the wider community in support and solidarity for the Palestinian people, following a successful motion from Andrew Fullwood (Glasgow).

Moving the motion, Mr Fullwood said, “There is a genocide taking place, right now, in Gaza. The UK Government and arms dealers in this country are complicit in that genocide. And yet, in this country, we risk arrest for protesting against this in the wrong way. We need to step up our support for the Palestinian people, not be cowed by these draconian laws.”

Ex-President Allan Crosbie said, “Those brave enough to stand against unjust actions by government have often been labelled as terrorists. If the lurch to the far right at home and the genocide in Gaza are to be halted, protest against these actions will be vital.”

And David Moore (South Ayrshire) added, “We are seeing not just an attack on civil liberties, but an attack
on democracy.

“Citizens exercising their civic right to dissent should not be arrested as terrorists. We have a duty to stand against oppression, and this misuse of anti-terror laws, and in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

“Silence in the face of injustice is not an option.” The motion was carried, unanimously and without dissent.

David Drever

Everyone associated with the EIS was saddened to hear of the death of former EIS President David Drever, who passed away shortly before the meeting of EIS Council.

An obituary for Mr Drever will appear in the next edition of the SEJ.