A LAST minute attempt to resolve the teachers strike failed to stop a 48-hour walkout across the area - and the dispute could yet get worse.

The EIS union met with Labour Party councillors and West Dunbartonshire Council management on Monday night and a deal appeared close, only to fall at the last hurdle.

A 48-hour strike started Tuesday affecting secondary schools in the local authority in the latest attempt to force education bosses to stand down from their proposals.

Clydebank High and St Peter the Apostle High are both closed to S1-S3 pupils while a partial timetable is in place for senior pupils as well as study support in advance of exams starting next week.

Council bosses said they had already delayed implementation of their restructuring plan and urged the union to negotiate.

But last week EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan also told delegates at the STUC conference that industrial action may be "intensified" if the council tried to impose restructuring plans.

In a statement today, the local EIS said: "We would like to thank the Labour group for their work in bringing the union and management together, once again, giving us the opportunity to put our case and giving us a fair hearing.

"However, we are disappointed we were unable to reach agreement.
"We genuinely believed that we had the basis of a resolution to this dispute at this meeting and had been prepared to suspend any future industrial action.

"Nevertheless, we will continue to be involved in discussions with management and are hopeful that the Labour group will continue to play a supportive and constructive role in the expectation of an early conclusion to this dispute."

A spokeswoman for the council said: "We held further discussions with EIS on Monday night in an effort to achieve a resolution. Both sides have committed to meet this week as a matter of urgency."

West Dunbartonshire Council was also asked if they planned to impose their restructure.

A spokeswoman replied: “It remains our aim to introduce a promoted post structure which has been agreed with trade unions. 

"We have made every effort to achieve that and jointly developed an enhanced model with EIS in direct response to the points the union raised. We have already delayed the original implementation date and would again urge the unions to engage with us and reconsider the significant concessions put forward.”

The dispute centres on the council trying to save £600,000 by removing depute heads from four of five high schools across the local authority, sashing the number of principal teachers and grouping different subjects into faculties managed by a single senior postholder.

The first strike action in 30 years started on January 12, followed by one on February 18 and a current work to rule. 

A 48-hour strike was called off in March after the union thought an agreement in principle had been reached, only for the final version to be substantially different.

In a letter last week to Labour councillors over the dispute, Mr Flanagan called the council's offer "educationally unjustifiable".