Teachers in Glasgow have resoundingly opted for strike action, with a vast majority of 95% of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) members who participated in the vote showing support.
With a 57% turnout, educators are taking a stand against Glasgow City Council’s budget-cutting measures.
The EIS union has observed that these reductions by the council have already led to a noteworthy drop in teacher numbers and is urging the local authority to cease and reverse their cutbacks. The initial cuts enacted last year threaten the loss of up to 450 positions, with around 120 jobs being slashed during the previous year and around 300 trimmed this year, according to EIS.
Andrea Bradley, the EIS general secretary proclaimed: “This is an outstanding ballot result, through which our members in Glasgow have sent a very clear message to Glasgow City Council that they must stop, and reverse, their programme of damaging education cuts.
“The impact of the cuts is already being felt in schools across Glasgow, within the region of 300 teaching posts having been removed already by the council.”
Bradley underscored the severe consequences for both students and teachers, stating, “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.”
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Ms Bradley urged the local authority to “ditch its damaging cuts and “recommit to working with teachers and teaching unions to deliver the best possible education provision for the young people of Glasgow”. This is an outstanding ballot result, through which our members in Glasgow have sent a very clear message to Glasgow City Council that they must stop, and reverse, their programme of damaging education cuts.”
She continued: “In a city that faces significant problems with deprivation, with a large number of young people struggling with poverty-related disadvantage, it is a disgrace that the council continues to push ahead with plans that will further slash the teacher workforce, and damage the learning experience of pupils in Glasgow’s schools.”
“This ballot result should encourage the council to give serious pause for thought.”
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council responded: “The EIS has notified us of the outcome of their statutory ballot and their mandate for potential strike action.”
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