Striking teachers victory over cuts to teaching posts

By an EIS member

After 13 weeks of industrial action by secondary school teachers in West Dunbartonshire, which included six strike days and a work to rule, 87% of EIS members have voted to accept an agreement.

The fundamental issue at the centre of the dispute – cuts to principal teacher posts – will not now go ahead. The agreement means the new curricular model will be based on maintaing the subject principal teachers.

The attempted imposition of a management restructure by the Labour council, which was nothing more than a cut of £600,000 from the education budget, provoked mass anger and an overwhelming mandate for strike action. Education officials have now “compromised” with EIS negotiators by accepting the complete withdrawal of their original proposal.

Larry Flanagan, the EIS general secretary, said in a press statement: “This has been a hard-won result with EIS members in West Dunbartonshire showing a level of determination that sets a benchmark for resisting austerity-driven cuts. We are grateful for the support we received from many parents and from other trade unions.

However, the teacher’s representatives have made clear there will be a return to action if the council undermine the agreement.  Jim Halfpenny, joint secretary of the EIS in West Dunbartonshire and Socialist Party Scotland member said: “This vote is a clear indication of teacher’s determination to defend educational provision in West Dunbartonshire. However, teachers have also indicated that their trust in the management of West Dunbartonshire Council is at such a low that they are prepared to return to immediate industrial action if these discussions are not successful.”

management climb-down

This humiliating climb-down by management and the leadership of the Labour
administration of West Dunbartonshire Council was achieved despite 
misinformation about the dispute aimed at misleading parents and the general public. EIS leaders and activists pointed out this was a strategy whose natural home resides in the Tory Party and the Blairite right wing of the Labour Party.


West Dunbartonshire parents had a choice; believe the teachers who were with their children every school day or a leader of the Council and his education convener, who consistently showed over the last nine months they had no idea how schools worked and a management who had little more understanding.

Over the last nine months parents have overwhelmingly supported the teachers.  

With this support and a confidence built in school branches by local EIS association leaders, members took decisive strike action, showing a determination which brought increased numbers to the picket lines each strike day.

During the course of this dispute the West Dunbartonshire Association has been strengthened with new activists coming forward. There has been the highest participation in the union for years, particularly by a new generation of younger teachers. This should be seen as a model for EIS school associations across Scotland.

Under pressure in the run-up to the Scottish elections, the majority on the Labour Group demanded that their leadership bring this dispute to an end. Management were instructed to agree to the teachers demands, which the EIS agreed to in principal with the detail to 
be ironed out.
This was a victory achieved by the determination and sacrifice of EIS members who are delighted that all secondary teachers will benefit, even those from other teachers unions who crossed their picket lines. 

Build a fighting EIS
 

For years members have been told by the right-wing of the EIS that teachers would not take action and that cuts to wages and conditions were inevitable. Faculty models and similar attacks have been implemented across local authorities in Scotland. This dispute shows that is it possible to fight back. Left activists need to organise in the union against apologists for Labour, Tory and SNP austerity programmes and who hold back the members from action. The days of working hand in glove with employers rather than using the organised power of teachers must come to an end.


The teachers of West Dunbartonshire have shown through their industrial action that a belligerent and arrogant council employer can be brought to its knees. This victory will not be missed by teachers around Scotland.