Backdated pay deal agreed by teachers in Scotland

Teachers in Scotland have agreed to a backdated deal on pay.

Following lengthy negotiations they will get a 1% pay rise backdated to April 1, 2017, and an additional 1% rise from January 1 to March 31, 2018.

From 1 January 2018, all supply teachers will be paid the appropriate point on the main grade scale, regardless of the duration of the cover.

The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), which comprises members from teaching organisations, Local Authorities, and the Scottish Government, agreed the proposals on Monday.

Education Secretary John Swinney said: ''We recognise that teachers are the most important in-school factor in a child's educational attainment - having the right number of teachers in schools, with the right skills, is vital to delivering our aims of excellence and equity in Scottish schools.

Reaching agreement on this pay deal demonstrates the benefit of government, employers and unions working together through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers.

As announced in the draft budget, we will provide an additional £24 million through the local government settlement to make this deal happen, alongside continued funding of £88 million so every school can access the right number of teachers.''

In addition to the agreements on pay, all parties also agreed to take part in a strategic review of pay and reward of Scotland's teachers and to explore clearly defined career progression pathways.

Councillor Gail Macgregor, chairwoman of the Employers' Side, said: ''I am pleased to say that after long and protracted discussions, the teachers' pay negotiations for 2017/18 have reached a positive conclusion.

Undoubtedly, we will be meeting again shortly to discuss the pay claim for 2018/19. But it would be good to recognise that for the current year we have been able to reach a satisfactory position agreed by all sides of the SNCT.''

Educational Institute of Scotland Salaries Convener, Helen Connor, also chairwoman of the SNCT Teachers' Side, said: ''Teachers will welcome that agreement has now been reached on a backdated pay settlement for 2017, and that all pay scales will increase by a total of 2% from January. It has been a lengthy process to secure this agreement, and work has already begun towards the 2018 pay claim which is scheduled to be settled by April.

While this pay settlement does not meet our aspiration to restore teachers' pay to pre-austerity levels, it does represent an uplift in pay that exceeds the current 1% public sector pay cap.

We welcome that the cap will be lifted from 2018 onwards in Scotland, and will continue to engage constructively in discussions via the SNCT with the aim of delivering improved salaries for all teachers working in our schools.''