Thousands of Scottish teachers march for better pay amid austerity
A massive march has been held in the Scottish city of Glasgow where teachers have demanded better pay condition and more protection against impacts of UK government austerity measures.
Thousands of teachers and union members from across Scotland attended the march and rally in Glasgow on Saturday, according to the British media.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said in the morning that at least 30,000 teachers had attended the rally which began in Kelvingrove Park. It said more people were expected as protesters marched towards Glasgow’s George Square.
“Nine years of pay settlements under the public sector pay cap have resulted in the value of our take home pay being down by nearly 25%,” said EIS President Alison Thornton during the rally, adding, "The salaries of teachers in schools in Scotland are below the European average and those of other countries in the wider world.”
Teachers in Scotland want at least a 10-percent increase in their pay after years of restraint. They say government austerity measures have negatively affected education.
The EIS estimates show that the value of teachers’ pay had fallen by more than a fifth over the past decade. The union has rejected a government offer of 3% for all but the most highly-paid teachers, saying it is “divisive”. Education Secretary John Swinney, who has indicated that government offer is final, insists the pay rise is generous enough to meet expectations of the teachers.
The UK government has announced that it is beginning to put an end to some of the most painful spending cuts that have been in place since 2010, when the Conservative-led government at the time introduced austerity to shrink budget deficit.
However, opposition parties have cast doubt on government claims about end of austerity, saying tens of billions of funds will be needed to reverse the impacts of the policy in the years to come.
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