Teachers to vote over strike

Union accuses SNP of failing on manifesto pledge

- BY KATRINE BUSSEY

TEACHERS are to be balloted for strike action over their “crippling” workload.

The EIS union said the SNP had failed on its manifesto pledge to reduce classroom time for teachers to a maximum of 21 hours a week.

The union's furious general secretary, Andrea Bradley, said: “We are now in the fifth year since the current Scottish Government administration made a manifesto promise to address crippling teacher workload, after years of knowing about and acknowledging the seriousness of it, by reducing teachers’ maximum class contact time to 21 hours per week.

“During this time, teachers have shown divine patience, while continuing to toil under excessive workload burdens.