FAIR PAY FOR TEACHERS

24 April 2008

Commenting on today’s strike action Christine Blower, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Europe’s largest teaching union said;

“Teachers do not take the decision to strike easily, or lightly, but teachers’ patience has been stretched to the limit. This is not just a one year issue. After 3 years of below inflation pay increases the prospect for a further 3 years of the same is the last straw.

“The Retail Price Index, which features on Government websites as the figure used for pay bargaining, is currently running at a yearly average of 4.1%. The current pay offer of 2.45% is well below that and can be seen in no other way than as a pay cut.

“Year on year pay that fails to keep pace with inflation has real consequences for the profession and our schools. It saps morale and causes problems of recruitment, retention and teacher shortages, not to mention real financial difficulty for our members. It is time to call a halt.

“Real term pay cuts hit youngest teachers the hardest. Not only do they have to contend with high housing costs, fuel bills and escalating food prices, they also have to pay back student loans at a rate of 4.8%.

“There has been a significant decline in applications for post graduate teacher training across both secondary and primary education. You cannot run a world class education system if teaching doesn’t attract enough graduates. It is time for the government to listen.”