Thread by @al_crosbie

I fear we are being played.

A short deconstruction of how a Scottish Government leak is designed to manipulate and threaten teachers. 🧵

#PayAttention @EISUnion @TesScotland @scotgov

The first few paragraphs in the TES exclusive about a new pay offer coming our way next week give it away.

"The Scottish government is expected to approve additional money for a new teacher pay deal early next week.

“TES Scotland understands that the cabinet will meet on Monday to agree the extra funding and an improved offer will be made to teaching unions, with the goal that a two-year deal can be reached."

The only possible original source of such information is the Scottish Government, and it’s clear they plan to offer a deal over two years.

The language - 'additional money', 'extra funding', 'improved offer' - sounds very promising, doesn't it?

The SG suddenly sounds beneficent.

After over a year’s delay, repeated insistence that our demands are unaffordable, that the budget is fixed and inflationary pressures have eroded their underspend, they’ve found more cash.

Under which stone was this found? And how disingenuous were those original protestations?

But - of course - the key is the ‘two years’; it all depends on how the money is delivered over those two years.

“The hope is that teaching unions will suspend strike action on the basis of an interim offer.”

Translation: it would be unreasonable of the unions to continue their action; they should pause to consult their members on whatever we offer.

More troubling: what does ‘interim’ mean in this context? If there’s more money and a new offer, there is surely no need for anything to be ‘interim’.

Be prepared for weasel words: we’ve had the word ‘compromise’ abused; are ‘additional’, ‘extra’ and ‘improved’ up next?

“However, if the teaching unions refuse, TES Scotland understands the government could impose the deal.”

This is where it gets nasty. Our own government is trying to threaten us.

Make no mistake: any future pay imposition would be a deliberate, unforgivable trampling of the bargaining mechanism of the SNCT.

The consequences for industrial relations in Scottish Education would be disastrous.

But even just threatening to do it, via this leak, if we dare to reject their offer, is intimidatory and inflammatory.

This is not negotiating in good faith.

All Scottish teachers should be deeply concerned at these tactics.

It would be good to know where @Ross_Greer and @scottishgreens stand. Do they support pay imposition on workers? Do they support the tactic of threatening it in order to manipulate trade union members? Will they speak up in support of teachers against such tactics?

Of course, teachers await the full details and indeed a formal offer.

But we remain alert to intimidation and threats as means of manipulating us ahead of even receiving such an offer.