‘THERE is to be a zero pay rise for thousands of teachers in 2015-16.’
So said Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, commenting on the 25th School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) report on the teachers’ pay award for 2015-16 and the coalition government’s response.
She added: ‘It is clear that within the constraints imposed by the Treasury, the Review Body, by recommending 2% on the top of the main pay range is signalling very strongly that there is a real issue in terms of the adverse impact the coalition government’s public sector pay policy is having on teacher supply.
‘Teachers have had their pay cut by thousands of pounds over the last four and half years under this coalition government.
‘Teachers’ starting salaries are now 20% lower than other graduate professions and 44% lower for teachers who have had three years of service. They are a staggering 73% lower after five years.
‘Whilst the Review Body may be acting with the best of intentions in seeking to introduce the opportunity for some teachers to receive up to 2%, unfortunately, this is still within the Treasury pay cap and takes no account of the fact that, thanks to the coalition government’s changes to the pay structure, schools can use their pay flexibilities to seek to avoid paying teachers any award at all.
‘Thousands of teachers face the prospect of being denied even the meagre cost of living award the Review Body is recommending.
‘A survey of NASUWT members found that by December 2014, 51% of teachers had not received the 1% cost of living increase last year which should have been paid in September.
‘The profession is already in the grip of a recruitment and retention crisis due to the coalition’s relentless attacks on pay, pensions and working conditions. Today’s announcement will do nothing to address this.’
The NUT commented: ‘The Government’s decision to freeze school funding means that even a 1% pay increase this year will lead to cuts elsewhere in schools – but its decision to allow schools to decide whether teachers get any increase means that many teachers may not even get 1%.’
• The Prison Officers Association (POA) said yesterday it is outraged at the zero pay offer for 80% of its members.
The POA Executive will convene an Emergency meeting on Monday, 16th March 2015.
The POA NEC rules nothing in and nothing out.
The union said: ‘POA members in 2014 have seen:
‘4,000 assaults on prison staff, a 40% increase in serious assaults on staff, a prison system overcrowded, a prison population at record levels, 3,500 fewer officers to year end 2014.
‘A Service unable to recruit and retain, staff forced away from their homes and families on detached duty, motivation and morale is at an all-time low, a Prison Service failing to meet any of the Health and Safety Executive criteria.
‘As per our policies, the POA will now consider our response on this nil pay award for the difficult and dangerous and under-resourced work that they do on behalf of society.
‘We are reminded that our members in the NHS have successfully achieved concessions on pay with direct action.’