SCOTLAND’S largest teaching union has overwhelmingly agreed in principle to recommend that its members accept a new pay offer by the Scottish Government.

A planned statutory ballot for strike action – set to begin on Monday – has now been suspended and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) will instead open a consultative ballot of its members on the new offer with a recommendation to accept.

READ MORE: Teaching strikes loom after EIS union reject pay deal

The pay proposal includes a three-year pay settlement of 3% from April 2018, 7% from April 2019, and 3% from April 2020, for a compounded total increase of 13.51%.

It also includes additional commitments aimed at tackling teachers’ workloads, supporting professional development and enhancing the teacher leadership programme.

Education Secretary John Swinney welcomed the suspension of the ballot on industrial action.

“The Scottish Government and Cosla made a strong offer to teachers which, by a narrow margin, was rejected. Given the importance we place on valuing teachers and improving the attractiveness of the profession, I have looked again at the investment the Scottish Government is making.

“I am prepared to increase the funding for restructuring pay grades from 3% in January 2019 to 4% from April 2019. That would mean teachers will see a minimum 10% pay increase between January 2018 and next month, and a further 3% rise from April 2020, before any salary progression is taken into account.

“The additional cost of going further than the previous offer – £32 million over a 3-year period to 2020/21 with only £3 million falling in 2018/19 and 2019/20 – will be found from within the existing education and skills budget.

“What is particularly welcome is the wider agreement we have reached with the EIS. Reform is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s plan to improve Scottish education and the significant package of measures we have agreed on issues like workload and teacher empowerment, will help deliver the reform needed to tackle them.”

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said the offer represents a "significant success" for Scottish education as a whole.

“It has been secured through strong campaigning under the Value Education, Value Teachers banner, and delivered through the committed collective stand taken by Scotland’s teachers," she said.

“By standing together and remaining united, our members have secured a strong deal for Scotland’s teachers which will also deliver stability and security for Scottish education.”