TEACHING union NASUWT warned today that its members in Scotland could take stage further strikes if a long-running pay dispute is not resolved.

Schools across the country were closed for the second day in a row due to the the latest national walkout by members of NASUWT and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), another teaching union.

The action followed national strikes involving several unions in January and late last year.

The EIS, which also staged 16 days of rolling stoppages from mid-January into early February and three days of “targeted” walkouts last week, has announced a new 20-day wave of rolling strikes between March 13 and April 21.

NASUWT has not announced any further strike dates, but national official for Scotland Mike Corbett said there is “certainly potential” for more walkouts.

Speaking on a picket line outside Rosshall Academy in Glasgow, he said: “Our action committee will meet again and review where we’re at.

“We do have a programme of action short of strike action in schools at the moment, so that’s there still to try and put pressure on employers to come to a resolution to the dispute.”

Mr Corbett said that an “improved offer” is needed to resolve the dispute and that if the union receives an offer that it believes constitutes a “significant improvement,” then this will be put to members for them to decide on.

Members of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association agreed to defer this week’s industrial action after a survey of members found that they would vote by a very narrow margin to accept the latest offer.

The Association of Headteachers and Deputies in Scotland also cancelled its planned participation in further strikes after a majority voted to accept the proposal of 11.5 per cent over two years.