SQA workers back strike action over pay
Dispute at nation’s education qualifications body centres on ‘unacceptable’ pay offer
Unite the union can confirm today (14 November) that its members at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have overwhelmingly voted to support strike action.
Hundreds of members backed strike action by 72 per cent on an 80 per cent turnout. The union’s members work in all grades and job roles at the nation’s education qualifications body including administrators, managers, processors and researchers.
The pay dispute centres on the SQA’s two-year pay offer for 2023 and 2024. For the majority of Unite’s members, the current SQA offer equates to no more than 5.75 per cent in 2023, and 3.15 per cent in 2024. Broader inflation (RPI) in contrast has varied between 8.9 and 13.8 per cent throughout 2023.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “The resounding mandate for strike action is a direct result of senior management’s failure to make a fair pay offer. Unless this is quickly addressed then our members will have no option but to take strike action in the fight for better jobs, pay and conditions at the SQA. “
Unite is also drawing attention to the fact that around 38 per cent of all SQA workers have hit a pay ceiling, and therefore are not eligible for any pay progression.
Alison Maclean, Unite industrial officer, said: “Unite’s members at the SQA have resoundingly backed strike action for the second year running. This should come as no surprise to senior management. We have repeatedly told them the pay offer was entirely unacceptable.
“We will now discuss potential dates for industrial action which could affect the SQA’s ability to provide exam results next year.”
“There remains a number of outstanding issues in relation to the scrapping of the SQA which have still not been addressed. The nation’s new qualifications body is set to be up and running in 2025. Yet, we have been given no clarity on how this organisation will operate. It simply isn’t good enough, which is why the Scottish Government and SQA management repeatedly fail our members’ confidence test.”
Unite has continuously raised concerns over the failure by the SQA and Scottish Government to meaningfully consult with the trade unions on education reform.
Unite has specific concerns over the scrapping of the SQA, and the lack of assurances over job roles and locations, conditions and pay of the existing SQA workforce, in any new organisation, which have not been addressed.