Teachers and trade union cover –nearly £1m of taxpayers’ cash spent by half of Scotland’s councils

Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives under Freedom of Information show that, in just 18 Councils areas, teacher time off for trade union duties cost nearly £1m of taxpayers' money providing teacher cover over the last 5 years.


Furthermore, in the last year alone, the bill for the 13 Councils who had data was over a third of a million pounds. This indicates that the total cost to the taxpayer, across all Scotland's 32 Councils, is heading towards £1 million a year with thousands of days where teachers are away from the classroom.



Liz Smith MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning, says:

"No one is saying teachers do not have the same rights as any other group of employees, of course they do. It is vital that their interests and welfare is looked after just like anyone else. But is there any other profession where this kind of money is splashed out on covering for trade union activity?


"These figures relate to just over half of Scotland's councils, so the true cost will be much, much more especially given the extraordinary fact that 10 councils couldn't even provide their costings.


"In these hugely difficult economic times, we need to be asking who should foot the bill for trade union activity - the school, the taxpayer or the Union itself?. There needs to be a balance between the proper representation of teachers and any disruption to a young person's education. At the moment that balance is not being met."

The exact question asked was:

How many working days were lost, in each of the past five years, due to school staff being granted authorised absence from normal duties to under-take Trade Union related activities, also detailing the cost of providing cover for such absences.


The main points are:


- A total of 28 returns, 18 (64%) answered the request, whilst 10 (36%) local authorities could not state provide information about the activity and whereabouts of their staff.


- Across 18 local authorities a total of £868,564 has been spent over the last 5 years providing cover for absenteeism through TU activity


- Across 18 local authorities a total of 6223 days have been lost through TU activity


- In the last year (2009/10) £364,415 was spent on providing cover for absenteeism through TU activity.


- In the last year 2418 days have been lost through TU activity.

- A total of £418,385 has been spent on cover in East Renfrewshire over the last 5 years


- In Renfrewshire the total for the last 5 years was £150,794

- In the last year Highland Council have spent £41,156 on cover, whilst East Renfrewshire have spent £89,104

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