Deal 'close' on teachers' pay

Teachers want to chalk up a pay rise

Reports that the Scottish Executive does not have enough money to fund pay increases for teachers have been officially denied.

A spokeswoman dismissed claims that ministers had said they did not have the cash for an agreed pay deal.

She said: "We have always made it clear that money is there to fund the McCrone recommendations."

We need to make sure that what the teachers are offering is worth the funding that they are asking for

Scottish Executive spokeswoman

The comments came as the executive re-entered talks with teachers' unions and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) over the findings of the independent committee into teachers' pay and conditions chaired by Professor Gavin McCrone.

The committee said the cost of implementing the package, which includes salary increases, would be around £250m.

The spokeswoman said there was still work to be done, but added that First Minister Henry McLeish and Education Minister Jack McConnell felt they were "very close" to a deal.

A second spokeswoman also dismissed the claims but said teachers would have to make concessions over working conditions to secure pay increases.

Concessions over conditions

And she added: "Obviously we need to make sure that what the teachers are offering is worth the funding that they are asking for."

Pressed on whether this meant concessions over conditions in return for pay increases, she said: "That is what those words would mean, yes."

A source from the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA) claimed the executive had said it did not have the money to implement the deal.

He said the comments reported were "correct" and had "clearly come from an authoritative source".

The McCrone Committee reported on pay

And he warned the process could collapse if it is not finalised by the beginning of January.

The source added that the teachers' side had won a number of concessions and given ground on several points.

They had achieved a commitment to a 35-hour contractual working week and plans to make teachers undergo 35 hours of staff training or "continuous professional development" each year.

And it was decided teachers would not take a pay cut if their job was downgraded under a restructuring plan for the profession.

SSTA general secretary David Eaglesham refused to comment on the speculation over a lack of money, saying it would be "a breach of the protocol" for him to comment.

'Remain positive'

But he added: "There's always been a problem about funding from the beginning. It's not really a surprise that it continues to be a difficulty.

"But I'm convinced that the minister is committed to resolving this."

The unions are asking for a 10% increase up-front for all teachers in April, with an increase of between 10% and 15% the following year.

A spokesman for Cosla said: "We have got to remain positive, but there are difficulties."

Cosla, which employs the teachers, has predicted early retirements, staff development and other costs could make McCrone twice as expensive to implement as originally predicted.