Scottish Teachers Union Wins Strike Mandate on Workloads

Scotland's largest teaching union has secured a strong mandate for industrial action after members overwhelmingly voted in favor of strikes over unfulfilled government promises to ease teacher workloads, raising the prospect of school disruptions during upcoming exams and elections.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), representing the majority of the country's teachers, announced the results of a nationwide ballot on Wednesday, with 85 percent of voters supporting strike action and 93 percent backing other forms of protest, such as working to rule. Turnout reached 60 percent, surpassing the 50 percent threshold required under UK law for a valid mandate. This marks the second ballot on the issue; an earlier vote in 2023 garnered majority support but failed due to insufficient participation at 47 percent.

The dispute centers on a 2021 manifesto commitment by the Scottish National Party-led government to reduce teachers' weekly class contact time by 90 minutes, from 22.5 hours to 21 hours, and to recruit 3,500 additional teachers to address excessive workloads. Union leaders argue that five years later, these pledges remain undelivered, with teacher numbers falling short...