Teacher strikes will go ahead in Scotland on Monday after a deadline passed for a new pay offer to be made.

Members of the EIS union have been campaigning for a 10% pay rise

Members of the EIS union have been campaigning for a 10% pay rise

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said an improved deal was needed to prevent planned action going ahead.

Unions, councils and the Scottish government met on Thursday afternoon but no new offer was tabled.

Teaching unions have rejected a 5% pay increase, arguing for 10%. The latest offer includes rises of up to 6.85% for the lowest-paid staff.

The Scottish government and councils have said a 10% rise is unaffordable. Fresh talks will begin on Monday.

Any new deal would need to be agreed by all 32 council leaders. They are currently not due to meet for two weeks.

Earlier this week all four unions representing teachers and headteachers walked out together for the first time.

It involved members of the EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, the NASUWT, Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA) and the Association of Headteachers and Deputes (AHDS) unions.

The EIS said it was “disappointed” and its national executive committee would meet on Friday to consider next steps.

General secretary Andrea Bradley said: “Despite their warm words over the past week, the Scottish government and Cosla have again failed to come to the table with a new pay offer to Scotland’s teachers.

“Our members are not prepared to accept the repeatedly reheated sub-inflationary offer that has now been sitting around for six months, and that is neither fair nor affordable for teachers.

“In the absence of an improved offer, our members will continue with strike action from Monday of next week, in their struggle for fair pay.”

Teacher strikes to go ahead after deadline passes

Teacher strikes to go ahead after deadline passes© BBC

Talks between unions and Scottish government officials last week were described as “constructive” but failed to

On Tuesday almost every primary school in Scotland was closed and every secondary shut on Wednesday.

Without movement on an offer, a 16-day programme of regional strikes will begin on Monday.

Schools in Glasgow and East Lothian will be targeted on the first day of the campaign with strike action then continuing on a rolling basis within two authorities each day.

Earlier this week, Scotland’s education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said she would leave “no stone unturned” to bring about a quick resolution to the strikes.

However, Ms Somerville said there was still “some distance” between the two sides in the pay dispute and that both sides in the dispute would have to compromise in order to reach a resolution.

Preliminary exams due to take place this week had to be rescheduled for some pupils due to the strikes.