Unions vow to fight on over cuts to new teachers’ pay

Wednesday 13 July 2016

It might be the last week of the Summer term but the battle lines are already being drawn for a major fight over teachers' pay in the Autumn.

Teaching Unions say they haven't been properly consulted on the proposals to reduce salaries to newly qualified teachers by £8,000 per year, despite Education Minister Rod Bryans telling the States yesterday that they have.

Marina Mauger from the NASUWT said: “We’re waiting for him to approach us to enter negotiations. Putting something in the MTFP is not the same as having informal discussions.

“Informal discussions haven’t started…it’s been mentioned to us in passing. We weren’t consulted before it was put in the MTFP and the teaching unions will strongly resist any cuts to NQT pay.”

Deputy Bryans wants to see newly-qualified teachers paid about £25,500 per year, on a par with their colleagues in Greater London and £3,500 more than those working in schools in other parts of the UK.

He says there's an oversupply of primary school teachers in the Island and the savings would help Education attract specialists like maths professors to work in our secondary schools.

But Mrs Mauger says there's a nationwide shortage of specialist secondary school teachers, it's not just a problem here and working in the Island can't be compared to a teaching job in London. She says his plans will make it harder to recruit teachers because it's expensive to live here.

She said: "It will create a difficulty in recruitment because of the cost of living here. The difference is here, you live in a small community and a lot of teachers who teach in London live outside London and travel and that's not possible here."

Local NUT President Robert Ward told Bailiwick Express last month that teachers in Jersey had already seen cuts to pay in real terms – but that a new cut for newly-qualified teachers would be a step too far and States members are concerned about the effect on standards in schools.

Speaking in the States yesterday Deputy Sam Mézec said: "How can we expect to raise standards by cutting salaries to those who are supposed to be delivering this?"

But Deputy Bryans said he believes differing pay levels will give teachers more incentive to take on positions with more responsibility within schools.

While the Unions plan to fight the move, the Education Minister says he'll be having formal discussions with the States Employment Board who have responsibility for the pay and conditions of school staff.