The boss of Scotland’s largest teaching union says she is “hopeful” a pay offer could be put before them in the coming days.
Andrea Bradley, General Secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) trade union, said it stands ready to consider a new offer “at the beginning of the week”.
It comes as school staff prepare to take part in what will be the first national strike action over pay for almost 40 years, after rejecting a 5% pay increase in September.
As it stands, almost all schools across Scotland will shut on Thursday, with two more strike dates announced on January 10 and 11.
Ms Bradley told the BBC’s Sunday Show she has been locked in “informal discussions” with the Scottish Government and is “hopeful” of a new offer.
Schools close across north and north-east
All schools across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Highland, Moray, Western Isles and Argyll and Bute will close on Thursday.
In Shetland, all but two schools will be closed to pupils.
Orkney Islands Council will close most schools and nurseries due to the planned strike action.
Ms Bradley said a special meeting of the union’s salaries committee is scheduled for Tuesday, with the executive committee meeting on Wednesday.
She added: “We are more than ready to consider any offer that comes forward from the Scottish Government and COSLA over the course of the next couple of days.”
Ms Bradley insisted her union is “prepared to negotiate” but made clear that even the 10% increase they want would mean a 1.1% real terms pay cut for teaching staff.
Acting Finance Secretary John Swinney made clear to unions last week that finding extra cash to fund public sector pay rises beyond what has been offered would mean more cuts to services.
He said: “If I want to put any more money into a public sector pay deal, beyond what’s already on the table, I have to cut public expenditure and public services.”
Scottish Conservative education spokesman Stephen Kerr accused the Scottish Government of having “sat on their hands” despite knowing a pay claim was coming.
The MSP said: “Teachers are clearly sending out a message that the SNP have failed to prepare, and now they are preparing to fail as strikes will shut nearly every school in Scotland on Thursday.”
On Tuesday, January 10, EIS will call all primary, special schools (primary and primary/secondary), and early years teacher members to strike.
The following day, January 11, secondary teachers, secondary special school teacher and associated professionals will all be called out.