A date has been set for strike action by teachers and other education professionals in Glasgow.
It will take place on Thursday 20 February. The EIS teaching union says there is “strong likelihood” that most schools in the city will close on that date.
The action follows the result of an EIS ballot on Monday, which saw 95 per cent of voters - on a 57 per cent turnout - backing the move to strike.
It came after Tes Scotland revealed in February 2024 that Glasgow City Council planned to cut 450 teaching posts over three years.
Previous ballots by both the EIS and primary school leaders’ body AHDS did not reach the required 50 per cent turnout threshold.
The EIS said today that it “anticipates robust support” from members for the strike on 20 February.
The union has “formally notified Glasgow City Council of the impending strike date, which will proceed unless the council confirms that it will halt, and reverse, its damaging programme of education cuts which has already seen around 300 teaching posts axed from the city’s schools”.
Andrea Bradley, EIS general secretary, said that the union’s members in Glasgow “remain resolute and determined to fight these destructive and dangerous cutbacks”, which are “causing irreparable harm to the learning experience of thousands of young people”.
She added: “It is not too late for Glasgow City Council to hold their hands up, admit that they have got this very badly wrong, and agree to cancel their programme of deep education cuts. Teachers never take strike action lightly, but are determined to stand united to force the council to scrap the cuts.”
EIS Glasgow secretary Jane Gow said that plans for the 20 February strike are “already well under way”.
The union said that more on the plans for the strike “will be announced in due course”.
Allan Casey, Glasgow City Council’s convener for workforce and homelessness and addiction services, said: “I’m disappointed to receive notification of strike action, given the constructive discussions I had with EIS officials yesterday which were due to be followed up with a meeting that has been arranged next week.
“No one wants to see strike action in our schools, and our door remains open to the EIS to meet with us to see if we can avert any industrial action.”
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