Scots teachers strike
Socialist Press1980 1980-05-21Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →
Read from the scan by machine and not corrected: expect misread words, and now and then a caption or a line from a neighbouring story. For anything you quote, read the scan.
Scan page 11
The decision of the National Executive of the Educational Institute of Scotland to launch a series of indefinite 3-day-per-week strikes in 100 selected schools marks a major step forward in the campaign for a 20% wage increase for Scottish teachers.
After a year of mounting frustration and bitterness over the handling of the 1979 wage claim by the Clegg Commission, the membership. are in a militant mood.
A one-day strike call on Tuesday last met with a massive response from the membership, shutting schools throughout the country.
Meeting closed
A demonstration of 3,000 teachers through the Glasgow ended in a Glasgow Green.
The event was organised by the Glasgow Teachers Action Committee who handed over the arrangements to the local association.
Whilst there was nothing in itself wrong with such a move, the outcome was that they were not granted in return the righ to have a speaker on the platform.
As it turned out, atter a 10 minute 1 the President of the union, Rose Galt, the meeting was closedmuch to the annoyance of many members who wanted a speech from a member of the Action Committee.
The original management offer of 13% has been changed to the completely unacceptable proposition of 14% conditional on teachers working an extra five hours per week.
Such an offer was bound to lead to a breakdown of negotiations.
There is now talk from the management side of an increased offer on the basis of a 22% cut in the teaching force.
This would mean a loss of 1,000 talk of bhis being the "wrong time of the year" and "teachers having no industrial muscle" must be combatted. If teachers lose out this time, we begin on the slippery slope back again to low wages and worse conditions.
Teachers must confidently turn to the labour and trade union movement, especially the public sector unions, for NALGO have a similar wage claim in right now and face the same employers.
*Make the strike solid through picketing of schools on strike!
*No retreat claim!
*No acceptance • of any strings!
*For strikes strikes on an area basis immediately!
... AND WITH 22% INFLATION, THEY WONT EVEN ' CONSIDER A SENSIBLE SYSTEM OF WAGE CONTROLS! I TELL YOU WHAT, AT THIS RATE THERE COULD EVEN BE REDUNDANCIES - OURS!.. '... AFTER ALL, IF HE ORGANISED FROM MADEIRA
----- pull-quotes -----
ABROAD, WAY CANT I? IM BACK TO MADEIRA, SEE YOU ALL ON MAY 14TH!!