Pay claims for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 and updates from the Teachers’ Side of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), which includes Community. Latest update: 21 March 2023:
SNCT – Pay Claim 2022/2023
Updates: March 2023
14 March 2023
Pay deal accepted by SNCT
The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) Teachers’ Panel has accepted the revised pay offer of 3 March 2023.
The pay agreement for teachers and associated professionals covers the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 July 2024.
The pay deal is:
- 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 – a 7% uplift for all grades up to a ceiling of £80,000, where a cap of £5,600 (pro-rata) will apply.
- 1 April 2023 to 31 December 2023 – a 5% uplift for all grades up to a ceiling of £80,000, where a cap of £4,000 (pro-rata) will apply.
- 1 January 2024 to 31 July 2024 – a 2% uplift for all grades up to a ceiling of £80,000, where a cap of £1,600 (pro-rata) will apply.
SNCT: Pay Agreement April 2022 – July 2024 (pdf)
SNCT: Salary table (pdf)
SNCT: Remote schools allowance (pdf)
Community Scotland statement on latest teachers’ pay offer (6 March 2023)
Information for members on pay arrears and tax (21 March 2023) (pdf)
Updates: January 2023
Latest Community statement and update on teachers’ pay negotiations (23 January 2023)
Statement from SNCT Teachers’ Side (23 January 2023) (pdf)
Update from SNCT Teachers’ Side (6 January 2023) (pdf)
Update: November 2022
The Teachers’ Side has rejected the latest offer from the Employers’ Side of between 5% and 6.85%.
Senior Professional Officer (Scotland) Dougie Atkinson said:
“Community has rejected the latest teachers’ pay offer from COSLA and the Scottish Government.
“In a joint statement with the other education unions, Community today urged COSLA and the Scottish Government to make a fair and reasonable offer that better reflected the rate of inflation.
“We hope that talks can resume as soon as possible so we can reach a resolution that gives our members the proper pay and recognition they deserve.”
Read the letter of rejection (30 November 2022).
Update: September 2022
Community – along with other teacher unions in Scotland – has unanimously rejected a pay offer of 5% from local authority employer body COSLA. The unions’ pay claim is for 10%.
Following indicative ballots, it is clear that teachers in Scotland find such an offer insulting following their efforts throughout the pandemic and in the face of surging inflation and cost of living price rises.
We will continue to work with our sister unions in attempting to secure a fair and proper pay increase.
Letter of rejection from SNCT Teachers’ Panel (21 September 2022)
Declaration of dispute letter from SNCT Teachers’ Panel (21 September 2022)
Update: 18th August 2022
Community along with the other teaching unions in Scotland have today rejected an improved pay offer from COSLA of 3.5%.
We are surveying our members asking for your views on the offer and what action you want the union to take in response to this. If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to complete the survey – it will influence how we respond if a satisfactory offer is not forthcoming.
Update: 23 June 2022
Following the AGM of the SNCT Teachers’ Panel on 21 June, the Teachers’ Side Joint Secretary has written to convey the Panel’s anger and frustration over the failure of COSLA to make an improved pay offer, following rejection of the offer of 18 May. (pdf)
Update: 18 May 2022
The SNCT Teachers’ Side has formally rejected the offer of 2% from the Employers’ Side, and has asked for an improved offer to be made as soon as possible.
The original pay claim for 2022/23 from the Teachers’ Side is for 10%.
Update: 7 February 2022:
The 2022/23 pay claim from the SNCT Teachers’ Panel is for 10% to be applied to all grades and pay points without differentiation or discrimination. (7 February 2022) (pdf)
Negotiations are ongoing.
SNCT – Pay 2021/2022
Update, 1 April 2022
The pay claim for 2021/22 has now been settled, following the Teachers’ Panel meeting of 31 March 2022.
SNCT Pay Agreement 2021 – 2022
Updated pay circular and tables:
Part 2 Appendix 2.1 Revised 0422 – SNCT Handbook
Appendix 2.5 Annex A Revised Allowances 0422
Updates, February 2022
Update, December 2021
The latest pay offer has today (Friday 17 December 2021) been rejected by the Teachers’ Side.
Earlier this week, the Employers’ Side issued a pay offer with “the same overall cost envelope” but “reconfigured dates”:
- a 1 per cent increase at all SNCT pay points effective from 1 April 2021.
- a further 1 per cent increase at all SNCT pay points effective from 1 January 2022
- a one-off non-recurring payment of £100 (pro rata for part-time staff)
- a cap of £800 for those earning £80,000 and above.
The previous offer was for a 1.22 per cent pay rise backdated to January 2021.
Update, November 2021
The SNCT Teachers’ Panel has rejected the revised pay offer from COSLA. (pdf)
It is expected that an improved offer will be made after the COSLA Leaders’ meeting on 26 November.
Update, September 2021
The Teachers’ Side has declared a formal dispute.
Update, August 2021
The SNCT Extended Joint Chairs met on 19 August to discuss this year’s pay claim. The Employers’ Side reported that COSLA Leaders have now confirmed an undifferentiated offer of 1.22% across all SNCT pay grades, backdated to April 2021. Whilst the acceptance of the principle of a universal pay offer is progress the offer of 1.22% is not, it being simply a redistribution of the cost of the previous offer.
The Teachers’ Side made clear that the offer of 1.22% is unreasonable, sub-inflationary and fundamentally misjudges the value of the profession.
The delay in reaching a negotiated settlement was highlighted and it was indicated that the possibility of a multi-year deal, suggested by COSLA, would only be considered if full details are provided with regard to the proposed percentage increase for each year.
The next meeting of the Extended Joint Chairs will be in the week commencing 30 August 2021 and a further update will follow that meeting.
Update, July 2021:
The Leaders’ Side met at the end of June and COSLA then held further discussions with the Finance Secretary.
COSLA is sticking with its position – which, on a non-differentiated basis, which would equate to a flat 1.22% uplift across all teachers and associated professionals covered by the SNCT, or a 2% uplift to those on up to £40,000 and 1% for those on £40,000 and above with a £800 cap.
The SNCT Teachers’ Side (which includes Voice Community) have made it clear during Extended Joint Chairs negotiations that this offer – which they had already rejected – is not acceptable, however it is distributed, and we have again noted our disappointment at there being no improvement to the offer.
The Teachers’ Side have requested that SNCT negotiations should continue, and that a meeting of the Extended Joint Chairs should be arranged for as soon as possible in the new session.
Update, 1 April 2021:
There was a further meeting of the SNCT extended joint Chairs yesterday to discuss the unions’ pay claim of 3-5% and the employer offer of a 2% uplift for those earning up £40,000; and a 1% rise for those earning over £40,000 with a cap of £800.
COSLA claimed that their offer was sufficient and equated to an overall pay rise of 1.2%. They could not confirm the offer as they still need to have a discussion with Kate Forbes, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, on local government finance. That meeting had had not gone ahead and, of course, the unions indicated that the new 4% NHS pay offer was also an additional consideration.
The unions outlined their concerns in terms of not having an improved offer and the inadequate and divisive nature of the current offer. They indicated that they would be advising members of their disappointment with the current offer.
Commenting on the outcome of that meeting, Senior Professional Officer (Scotland) Dougie Atkinson said:
“It was disappointing that there was no movement of the current position on teachers’ pay from COSLA, the employer, at a meeting yesterday. We cannot accept a differentiated offer like the one made earlier this month.
“It is disgraceful that the outstanding efforts of teachers in continuing to deliver high quality education during the pandemic have not been recognised when other public sector staff are being offered pay rises four times higher than the proposed award for teaching staff.
“We will continue to press Scottish Government and the employer to properly recognise the worth of teachers’ ongoing contribution.”
19 December 2020
SNCT Teachers’ Pay Claim 2021 (pdf)
The 2021 SNCT pay claim reflects the on-going commitment and professionalism of teachers and associated professionals, which has been brought into sharp focus during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the ongoing need to continue the restoration of the pay of teachers and associated professionals.
Therefore, a range of 3%-5% is the financial scope of the claim, depending on other measures and benefits also being considered as part of the pay and reward package, in particular those measures aimed at tackling excessive workload.
The Teachers’ Panel believes that the need to provide adequate support and reward for teachers as frontline and key workers should be recognised within the 2021 pay award.
The Panel wishes to expedite negotiations, through Extended Joint Chairs, with the aim of reaching a settlement for implementation in April 2021.
Update:
The Leaders’ Side will meet after 8 March 2021 to consider their offer.
If you are a member of Community and need help or advice, please contact us at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.
© Community Trade Union 2024