Teachers on strike: “Damaging education” or fighting an “out of touch” government?

Tuesday 12 December 2023

Ministers have lashed out at teachers for “damaging the education of our children” and making demands they claim would "put public finances into the red and keep them there" in a letter addressed to all islanders, as three days of strikes begin today.

Members of teaching union NASUWT are currently balloting on the latest pay deal from the States Employment Board, the panel of politicians who act as the official ‘employer’ for all public sector employees.

Three quarters of National Education Union (NEU) members, however, rejected it last week and decided to continue with their plans for three days of strike action starting today.

What was the offer?

In line with all other civil servants, teachers were given a 7.9% pay rise, backdated to 1 January this year. There will be no further negotiations on this year’s deal. 

In their most recent offer, the SEB also put forward:

• An 8% pay rise for 2024, and a guarantee of inflation-linked increases in 2025 and 2026;

• A one-off payment of £1,000 in January; and

• Independent arbitration.

Why won't teachers take it?

Teachers argue that they have been suffering pay erosion since 2008 due to wage increases not keeping up with rises in the cost of living, and that the government's offer will not cover what has been lost in real-terms.

"The current offer simply does not address the real terms pay cut and the issues being experienced in Jersey by the escalating costs of living. Our members continue to struggle with their bills and supporting their families," NEU Senior Regional Officer Caryn Symons said last week.

Pictured: Strikes took place in the Royal Square earlier this year.

They say that frustrations over this have been compounded by mounting bureaucracy and extracurricular expectations on teachers, at a time when schools have been suffering chronic underfunding and acute recruitment and retention issues.

What's the Government's view?

In a joint letter, which was shared with all media, but not posted on the Government's own social media pages, Social Security Minister Elaine Millar (SEB Vice-Chair) and Education Minister Inna Gardiner argued that the deal was "reasonable and fair".

They went on to point out that the offer was "accepted by every other group in the public service, including those in the Emergency services who we've relied on so heavily in the last year", and noted that teachers in the UK had accepted a less "generous" 6.5% deal.

CLICK TO READ IN FULL: The letter from the Social Security and Education Ministers to islanders.

They further stated that the teaching unions' request to address what they claim to amount to pay cuts totals 15.4% this year, while the NEU has asked for a 17.6% rise in 2024. Agreeing to this would be "irresponsible when we have so many calls on the public purse", the Ministers said.

The claim has been disputed by the NEU's joint district and branch secretary in Jersey, Adrian Moss, who said that the figure was simply used as a “starting point” for negotiations.

Concluding, the Deputies said that they were reviewing teachers' working conditions and had already "put more staff into schools", claiming that there were no vacancies for teachers in primary schools and "limited" vacancies in senior schools at the end of November.

The union later responded on Facebook, challenging a number of points made in the letter, which was also featured as a full-page advert in the JEP.

What do others think?

Reform Jersey politicians have stood squarely in the teachers' corner, with party leader Sam Mézec this morning posting on X (formerly Twitter): "The government wants to cut pay for teachers and then has the arrogance to expect them to be grateful for it.

"Let's be clear - the blame for the disruption to children's education lies squarely with an obstinate and out of touch government."

His colleague, Deputy Catherine Curtis, is this week calling for £2m to be pulled from the proposed Cabinet Office budget to "resolve this matter". "Every States Member will have the opportunity to show where their priorities lie," she said.

I’m looking forward to bringing the amendment to take £2 million from the cabinet office’s £79 million budget to resolve this matter. Every states member will have the opportunity to show where their priorities lie. https://t.co/QEgg2D4vb1

— Deputy Catherine Curtis (@DeputyCCurtis) December 12, 2023

The island’s leading business lobby group, Chamber of Commerce, have repeatedly called for a solution to be found and have held talks with both Government and the SEB. 

“Whilst one union (NASUWT) has called off industrial action whilst considering what I believe they regard as a good offer, it is very disappointing for the NEU to be continuing with strikes, especially when the new offer is fairly close to what we understood they would agree to! I can only imagine the frustrations of negotiators, teachers, government, employers, parents and pupils, who will all be affected,” Chief Executive Murray Norton wrote in an update to members on Friday.

Former Chief People Officer Mark Grimley, who recently resigned from his top civil service role, also drew attention to differing union approaches. In his previous role, he was party to the negotiations.

The union doesn’t actually know. They planted themselves in corner a long time ago. They’ve over promised their members. lost what their arguments were. In 15 years of negotiating pay this was the worst set of negotiation by a union I’ve seen. Did their profession a disservice

— MJsy (@MarkGrimley4) December 7, 2023

Sharing his view on the strike action on X, he said the union “doesn’t actually know” what it wants, adding: “They planted themselves in corner a long time ago. They’ve over promised their members. lost what their arguments were.

"In 15 years of negotiating pay this was the worst set of negotiation by a union I’ve seen. Did their profession a disservice.”

Strikes will be taking place on 12, 13 and 14 December.

Mr Moss said the NEU remained "open to further negotiations and hope to find a more creative solution moving forward."

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