Date set for fresh teacher strikes

Friday 08 March 2019

Teachers across at least seven secondary schools will be striking in two weeks' time, having "overwhelmingly" rejected a new pay offer from the government.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) at Grainville, Haute Vallee, Hautlieu, Jersey College for Girls, Le Rocquier, Les Quennevais and Victoria College will be called on to strike for the whole day on Tuesday 19 March.

The news comes after several fraught months of failed negotiations to increase teacher pay to catch up with rises in the cost of living. It had led teachers to plan a strike, but that action was cancelled at the last minute with the promise from the government of a new pay deal.

In the end, there was no change in offer for 2018 or 2019, but a 2020 pledge was bolted on: an increase in line with rises in the cost of living plus 1.3%. But NEU General Secretary Andy Woolley said members were not satisfied, given that the 2018 and 2019 imposed pay awards were "well below inflation".

Pictured: Signs made by disgruntled teaching staff during a recent 'March for Fair Pay'.

Since then, there has been no further negotiation with the body that sets public sector employees' pay and terms and conditions, the States Employment Board, the union said.

"Members have contacted us to confirm that they feel it is unacceptable to still have a fall in their standard of living over the three years," he said, as he announced the renewed strike action scheduled for two weeks' time.

He continued: “We have had no further contact about re-opening negotiations so we have no alternative but to re-instate our strike action for this date.

"The ballot we conducted also allows us to call out Primary Schools in future and to repeat the action if necessary but we hope that the States Employment Board will now realise the strength of feeling amongst its teacher employees about continual falls in their standard of living and demonstrate in real terms of a fair pay rise that they really mean it when they say they value what our members do for the young people of Jersey.”

The island's other major teaching union, the NASUWT, is still consulting its members on the offer.