Workload/Class Contact Time - Dispute and Ballot

On workload, the frustration and anger of NASUWT members was palpable in our survey in June/July on the failure of the Scottish Government and COSLA to progress the promised reduction in class contact time from 22.5 hours per week to 21 hours. A clear majority of our members were in favour of taking some form of industrial action, should there be no significant progress on delivering this promise.

Despite an agreement earlier this year to set up a series of meetings of a Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) Sub-group on Reduced Class Contact Time, with NASUWT representation, there was no significant progress on this matter. As a result, NASUWT lodged a formal trade dispute with the Scottish Government and local authority employers on 28 October and advised that ‘in the event that immediate steps are not taken to ensure this manifesto pledge is fulfilled… NASUWT will have no alternative other than to ballot our members for industrial action.’

Regrettably, since then, there has been no sense of urgency on the part of the Scottish Government or COSLA to move things forward and NASUWT has now given the Scottish Government and local authority employers formal notification that we will be balloting members for industrial action. This ballot will open on Wednesday 19 November.

Members will be contacted separately about ballot-related events and progress.