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Scotsman
31-05-2025
- Scotsman
Every classroom support worker in Edinburgh 'has been victim of violence or seen it'
GMB Scotland called for an 'honest conversation' about violence in schools Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Every classroom support worker in Edinburgh has been victim of violence or seen it, a union has warned. GMB Scotland said pupil support assistants are the most likely staff to suffer violence and abuse in Scotland's classrooms. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It warned of an epidemic of assault and verbal abuse in schools, and is now calling for an 'honest conversation' about the scale of the crisis. It comes as a survey of classroom support staff in Edinburgh revealed every single person polled had either been the victim of violence, or witnessed it, with 89 per cent saying they no longer feel safe at work. The findings prompted a furious backlash from opposition parties, with the Scottish Liberal Democrats accusing ministers of 'failing' to give schools the resources to tackle violence. Figures obtained by the union last year revealed almost 4000 incidents of violence, threats or verbal abuse in Edinburgh schools, an average of 20 incidents every day of the 190-day school year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A snapshot poll of 30 classroom assistants in Edinburgh this month showed 100 per cent had been a victim of violence or witnessed it and 89 per cent said they do not feel safe at work. Four out of five said incidents were taking place on a daily basis, with 92 per cent saying there are no consequences for pupils being violent towards classroom assistants. Almost three out of four said they did not feel supported by management after suffering violence and said guidance and training was inadequate and confusing. Just 15 per cent could explain the Scottish Government's Hands Off policy with staff only allowed to touch a pupil if they are a danger to themselves or others. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Three out of four said they are not given enough background information about a child's needs or potentially challenging behaviour before working with them. Keir Greenaway, GMB's Scotland's senior organiser in public services, claimed the survey of classroom assistants in Edinburgh is only the latest to confirm the toll of violence in Scotland's primaries. He said: 'The widespread idea that violence is largely inflicted by teenage boys on secondary teachers misrepresents the nature of this emergency. 'Of course, there are serious issues in later years but our members' experience clearly suggests classroom support workers in the youngest primary classes are most at risk when children lash out. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Figures collected by those councils properly collecting data confirm this but far too few are doing that. 'Until the true nature and extent of school violence is properly understood and acknowledged, it will never be properly addressed. 'We need an honest conversation about what is happening, where it is happening and how to address it.' Jenny Gilruth MSP, Minister for Education and Skills The union said the policy of encouraging pupils with additional needs and potential behavioural issues to attend mainstream schools must be properly funded and underpinned with training and resources or it will fail all children and all staff. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Andrew Bell, GMB Scotland organiser in Edinburgh City Council said the results of the survey should raise a series of red flags for the local authority. He said: 'Our members have decades of experience in the city's schools and if they are saying the violence and abuse is already a crisis and getting worse, managers should not only be listening but acting. 'Support staff need better support and training and the confidence to know that if incidents happen, they can be reported, investigated and acted on. 'Two out of three of our members say incidents are not recorded and when they are, nothing happens. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'If the authority does not know the scale of the problem, how can it be addressed? The relentless and continuing abuse of our members is no longer tenable.' Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP said blame lay with the Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth. He said: 'The misogyny, abuse and violence that teachers are telling us about is shocking. 'Last summer, the Scottish Government published a new action plan. It aimed to make pupils and staff feel safe and supported. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Pupils shouldn't have to fear their classmates and teachers deserve to know this government has their back. "The promised guidance on consequences is already late. 'The SNP Education Secretary has failed to give schools the necessary resources to respond effectively to school violence. It has left teachers and headteachers feeling abandoned. 'Liberal Democrats secured more funding for additional support needs in this year's budget, but now it's up to the government to come good on that commitment." Scottish Labour MP Chris Murray told The Scotsman he heard of the challenges schools faced during every single visit to one. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Edinburgh East and Musselburgh MP said: 'Whenever I visit a school in my constituency, I hear about the challenges schools face from disruptive behaviour. The lack of provision for mental health is shocking and needs urgent attention. 'Added to that, the legacy of social isolation in the pandemic, and the challenges young people face in the age of smartphones, means the Scottish Government needs to grip this issue and support teachers, support workers and kids.' Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Miles Briggs said: 'This survey outlines the chilling scale of the violence epidemic in Scotland's schools under the SNP and debunks the myth that this is just a problem involving secondary teachers and pupils. 'The despair of the unions representing staff is palpable and understandable. While Jenny Gilruth wrings her hands and offers empty platitudes, this crisis is deepening. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Staff, pupils and parents demand action from SNP ministers, not feeble policy directives that are barely understood. Councils need the resources to support their staff and a zero-tolerance directive from ministers towards soaring classroom violence.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Violence or abusive behaviour in our schools is completely unacceptable – it is important that schools are safe environments for teachers, wider staff and pupils alike. 'The Scottish Government is providing support and direction at a national level through our National Behaviour Action Plan. We have been working with a range of partners, including trade unions, on new guidance on responding to behaviour which we will publish before the end of the school term. Recognising the particular concerns for support staff, the Scottish Government has provided specific funding to enable enhanced support for pupil support staff. 'Local authorities are expected to consider how best to implement our national guidance to meet particular needs at a local level. They also have a statutory duty to identify and to review the support they provide for pupils with additional support needs.
Scotsman
31-05-2025
- Scotsman
SNP must act urgently to stem horrifying epidemic of violence in Scotland's schools
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It is becoming increasingly clear that the scandalous breakdown of law and order – for it is nothing less – in Scotland's schools is an issue that requires urgent and radical action. We cannot allow generations of children to learn all the wrong lessons about violence but, based on reports of increasing desperation from those on the frontline, that is exactly what is happening and the consequences for society as a whole will be very real. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad According to the GMB union, classroom assistants in primary schools are the most likely staff to suffer violence and abuse in schools. A snapshot survey of 30 in Edinburgh found every single one had either been a victim of violence or had witnessed it. Four out of five said incidents were taking place on a daily basis and 92 per cent said there are no consequences for pupils who used violence against assistants. Schools needs to be safe places where children are able to learn and neither they nor their teachers feel at risk of attack (Picture: Christopher Furlong) | Getty Images Violence cannot go unpunished Keir Greenaway, a senior union organiser, said: 'Until the true nature and extent of school violence is properly understood and acknowledged, it will never be properly addressed. We need an honest conversation about what is happening, where it is happening and how to address it.' The union added that the 'presumption of mainstreaming' – a Scottish Government policy that encourages pupils with behavioural problems and other 'additional needs' to attend ordinary schools – had to be properly funded or it would fail both children and staff. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is past time for the Scottish Government to think again, given some children clearly need more help than it is possible for mainstream schools to provide. The risk is that children will take away the message that violence goes unpunished or can even get them what they want. Eventually, they will realise their mistake but this may only happen after some hideous tragedy. The Netflix drama Adolescence provided a chilling example of the consequences of allowing a culture of violence to develop among young people.
Scottish Sun
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Closure of major Glasgow road which could bring traffic to a standstill edges closer
The road is vital to people commuting through Scotland's busiest city MOTOR MAYHEM Closure of major Glasgow road which could bring traffic to a standstill edges closer TRAFFIC could be brought to a standstill on a major Glasgow road due to strike action by control room workers. Around 65,000 motorists a day travel through the Clyde Tunnel. 3 Around 65,000 motorists a day travel through the Clyde Tunnel Credit: Alamy 3 Traffic could be brought to a standstill due to strike action by control room workers Credit: Alamy The road is vital to people commuting through Scotland's busiest city. It links the north and south sides of Glasgow and is near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. But the busy route faces disruption as control room staff have unanimously backed industrial action. The team of ten are based in the city's Whiteinch and are responsible for monitoring cameras, controlling ventilation and responding to breakdowns and emergencies on the road. The GMB union, which represents most of the workers, previously rejected a three per cent pay rise from council umbrella body Cosla. They also called on the Scottish government to provide councils with extra funding. The union warned that if the workers strike, the tunnel, which connects the north and south of Glasgow, may be forced to close. Keir Greenaway, senior organiser in public services for GMB Scotland, said the tunnel staff were the first to vote in a strategic campaign of industrial action to secure an improved offer for all council workers. He encouraged the Scottish Government to engage with Cosla to resolve the dispute. He said: "Council workers have again been forced to fight for fair pay while watching others in the public sector, NHS Scotland, for example, being made acceptable offers. First new road bridge crossing River Clyde in 20 years opens to drivers TODAY "The everyday lives of millions of Scots rest on the shoulders of local authority staff and they will not be treated as the poor relations in our public services. "The team at the Clyde Tunnel keep Scotland's biggest city moving, only one example of the essential services delivered by our members. "Without their expertise and experience, one of the country's most important roads could close with untold disruption." He added: "The current offer adds pennies to the hourly rate paid to the lowest-paid staff, and it is beyond time for ministers to seriously engage with Cosla and the unions to deliver fair pay." GMB union is now planning strategic action to get workers a £1 an hour increase or 6.5 per cent. It comes after a consultative ballot from all of GMB Scotland's council members said 96 per cent of voters backed walkouts if Cosla refuses to improve the three per cent pay offer. Strike dates have yet to be announced, but it is understood at least two weeks' notice must be given to the council ahead of industrial action. A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "We are aware of this ballot result but we have received no formal notification of the intention to take industrial action in relation to the Clyde Tunnel. "The ballot was held in relation to the national pay negotiations for local authorities, which are managed at a national level through Cosla." A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government has no formal role in these negotiations. "However, we urge all parties involved to work together constructively and reach an agreement which is fair for the workforce and affordable for employers." A spokesperson for Cosla told the BBC the body was disappointed by the move to industrial action, and that there "remains a gap between what local government can fund from its own resources and union aspirations."
Leader Live
19-05-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Clyde Tunnel ‘could close' as workers vote to strike for better pay
The Clyde Tunnel in Glasgow, relied upon by around 65,000 drivers a day, faces disruption as control room staff have unanimously backed industrial action. A team of 10 staff based in the city's Whiteinch are responsible for monitoring the tunnel's CCTV system, ensuring it is safe for drivers who use it to cross beneath the River Clyde. They also control ventilation and respond to breakdowns among other emergencies. GMB Scotland said their members in the team backed strike action after Cosla offered a 3% pay increase, which workers deemed too low. The union warned that if the workers strike, the tunnel, which connects the north and south of Glasgow, may be forced to close. Keir Greenaway, senior organiser in public services for GMB Scotland, said the tunnel staff were the first to vote in a strategic campaign of industrial action to secure an improved offer for all council workers. He encouraged the Scottish Government to engage with Cosla to resolve the dispute. He said: 'Council workers have again been forced to fight for fair pay while watching others in the public sector, NHS Scotland, for example, being made acceptable offers. 'The everyday lives of millions of Scots rest on the shoulders of local authority staff and they will not be treated as the poor relations in our public services. 'The team at the Clyde Tunnel keep Scotland's biggest city moving, only one example of the essential services delivered by our members. 'Without their expertise and experience, one of the country's most important roads could close with untold disruption.' He added: 'The current offer adds pennies to the hourly rate paid to the lowest-paid staff, and it is beyond time for ministers to seriously engage with Cosla and the unions to deliver fair pay.' Starting with the proposed Clyde Tunnel strike, the union is now planning strategic action to get workers a £1 an hour increase or 6.5%. It comes after a consultative ballot from all of GMB Scotland's council members said 96% of voters backed walkouts if Cosla refuses to improve the 3% pay offer. Strike dates have yet to be announced, but it is understood at least two weeks' notice must be given to the council ahead of industrial action. A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: 'We are aware of this ballot result but we have received no formal notification of the intention to take industrial action in relation to the Clyde Tunnel. 'The ballot was held in relation to the national pay negotiations for local authorities, which are managed at a national level through Cosla.' The Scottish Government Glasgow City Council were approached for comment.
South Wales Guardian
19-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Clyde Tunnel ‘could close' as workers vote to strike for better pay
The Clyde Tunnel in Glasgow, relied upon by around 65,000 drivers a day, faces disruption as control room staff have unanimously backed industrial action. A team of 10 staff based in the city's Whiteinch are responsible for monitoring the tunnel's CCTV system, ensuring it is safe for drivers who use it to cross beneath the River Clyde. They also control ventilation and respond to breakdowns among other emergencies. GMB Scotland said their members in the team backed strike action after Cosla offered a 3% pay increase, which workers deemed too low. The union warned that if the workers strike, the tunnel, which connects the north and south of Glasgow, may be forced to close. Keir Greenaway, senior organiser in public services for GMB Scotland, said the tunnel staff were the first to vote in a strategic campaign of industrial action to secure an improved offer for all council workers. He encouraged the Scottish Government to engage with Cosla to resolve the dispute. He said: 'Council workers have again been forced to fight for fair pay while watching others in the public sector, NHS Scotland, for example, being made acceptable offers. 'The everyday lives of millions of Scots rest on the shoulders of local authority staff and they will not be treated as the poor relations in our public services. 'The team at the Clyde Tunnel keep Scotland's biggest city moving, only one example of the essential services delivered by our members. 'Without their expertise and experience, one of the country's most important roads could close with untold disruption.' He added: 'The current offer adds pennies to the hourly rate paid to the lowest-paid staff, and it is beyond time for ministers to seriously engage with Cosla and the unions to deliver fair pay.' Starting with the proposed Clyde Tunnel strike, the union is now planning strategic action to get workers a £1 an hour increase or 6.5%. It comes after a consultative ballot from all of GMB Scotland's council members said 96% of voters backed walkouts if Cosla refuses to improve the 3% pay offer. Strike dates have yet to be announced, but it is understood at least two weeks' notice must be given to the council ahead of industrial action. A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: 'We are aware of this ballot result but we have received no formal notification of the intention to take industrial action in relation to the Clyde Tunnel. 'The ballot was held in relation to the national pay negotiations for local authorities, which are managed at a national level through Cosla.' The Scottish Government Glasgow City Council were approached for comment.
