West Dunbartonshire Council 'Surprised' By Teacher Strike Ballot
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) - the country's largest union for teachers and lecturers - has opened a statutory industrial action ballot of its members in West Dunbartonshire Secondary schools.
It's over an attempt to restructure management positions in its five secondary schools.
The EIS has consulted members on these proposals with meetings in each secondary school and joint staff meetings in Dumbarton and Clydebank.
Members at these meetings overwhelmingly rejected these proposals and called for action to oppose them.
An indicative ballot of EIS members, calling for industrial action against these proposals, produced a 71.3% return with 87.5% support for action.
With the unanimous support of the EIS National Executive Committee, a formal ballot is now opening which is likely to lead to industrial action in secondary schools in West Dunbartonshire.
A council spokesperson said:
“The Council is surprised by the EIS action. We’ve had many years of stable and successful partnership working and the procedures around faculty structures were jointly written and agreed by ourselves and the EIS in 2012.
“We think it’s really important all of our teachers understand that the Council currently employs 424 teachers across its secondary schools and after the restructure we will still employ 424 teachers.
“In total 93% of teachers will be unaffected, and those who are will have their pay protected for three years and be able to apply for any promotions that emerge in that period and beyond.
“The structure is similar to what already exists in most Councils across Scotland, although we will retain a higher number of deputes and principal teachers than is the case at many Councils.
“These changes will resolve the anomalies which exist within our schools support our continuing ambition to improve attainment in West Dunbartonshire, along with all our other major initiatives.”