Scottish teachers could strike in mid-March as workload talks continue

Scotland's teachers could go on strike as early as mid-March in a dispute over workload. The EIS union has issued a formal 10-day notice of its strike plan as SNP ministers have not yet implemented a 2021 manifesto pledge to reduce the time teachers spend in front of a class by 90 minutes. It said "some progress" had been made since the strike vote was announced earlier this week, but it had "nothing in writing" from the Scottish government and council body Cosla to deliver promises. Negotiations are still ongoing, and Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said she wanted to avoid a strike. However, Cosla said it needed full funding to deliver the plan. It also said it needed assurances that giving teachers the extra "non-contact time" would "have a positive impact on children and young people". The Scottish government's budget, which passed last month, included a 2% increase in local authority funding - which the EIS welcomed in the hope it would deliver the class contact time proposals. Strike rules across the UK have recently changed, with unions only required to give 10 days' notice rather than the previous 14. These mandates are also valid for a year rather than six months. The EI