PROTECTING SCHOOL TEACHERS’ PAY

Michael Gove says he is at war with the teacher unions

NUT and NASUWT are fighting back - a joint programme of lobbying, rallies, action short of strike action & strike action

In January 2012 he said that teachers are “happy with failure" and "enemies of promise”

We say Michael Gove is waging a war on teachers

THE WAR ON TEACHERS

What Gove has done so far:• Pay freeze• Attack on pensions• Attack on performance management• Forced academisation of schools• And now – Attack on the national pay structureWhat he intends to do in future:• Attack on conditions - PPA time, protection from cover,

longer working hours and working year

THE RESULT

NUT/YouGov survey on teacher morale (Jan 2013)• 55% say morale is low or very low• Up 13% since April 2012• 77% disagree with school-based pay determination

“If anyone says to you that 'staff morale is at an all-time low', you know you are doing something right." - Ofsted Chief Inspector Michael Wilshaw, Dec 2011

PAY – CUT BY 15% UNDER GOVE

During the Coalition Government’s term of office:• Pay freeze for 2011 and 2012• 1% limits for 2013 and 2014• Pension contributions up on average by 3.2%

Impact including inflation• Over 15% loss of spending power

Can we afford to stay in teaching?

THE NEW PAY ATTACKS (1)

• End of fixed pay scales - schools decide if teachers will progress, by how much and on what criteria

• More PRP - all pay progression linked to appraisal and to individual teachers’ performance

• End of pay portability when you move schools• 2013 STPCD published in April 2013 – schools to

adopt new pay & appraisal policies by Sept 2013• Decisions based on PRP for all teachers beginning in

September 2014

THE NEW PAY ATTACKS (2)

• Main scale & upper scale replaced by ranges - no fixed points, schools decide how much to pay

• Progression on all ranges based on performance• Portability of pay points abolished• Portability of UPS status abolished• Tougher criteria for applying to upper scale• Leading Practitioner range replaces ASTs/ETs• New fixed term TLRs (“TLR3”)

10 REASONS TO OPPOSE GOVE'S PAY PROPOSALS

1. He wants to abolish fixed pay points on the pay scales – so no guarantee that you will progress by the same amount as now

2. He wants PRP for all teachers – even though it doesn’t work in schools, and decisions will be based on funding or whether your face fits

3. He wants to end Main Scale progression based on length of service – hitting recruitment and retention of new teachers by creating doubts about pay progression

4. He wants even closer links for appraisal and pay – ending any chance of a process that supports your professional development

5. He wants to change the threshold process – almost certainly to cut the number of teachers moving to the Upper Pay Scale

10 REASONS TO OPPOSE GOVE'S PAY PROPOSALS

6. He wants fixed-term responsibility payments worth less than now – and then to review the whole TLR system

7. He wants heads and governors to waste time negotiating pay with every teacher – not supporting teaching and learning

8. He wants schools to be allowed to cut your pay when you move school – teachers will be scared to move and women on career breaks will be hit hardest of all

9. He intends to limit our 2013 increase by only 1% – while inflation and higher pension contributions cut our purchasing power.

10. He has now asked the STRB to go further – reviewing leadership pay, TLRs and allowances, working time and working conditions – even bigger changes may be in store if we don’t stop this now

WHY GOVE'S PROPOSALS ARE A THREAT TO EVERY TEACHER

Think your head teacher won't want to take advantage by holding down your pay?• Ofsted will be asked to make sure that they do

Think you will progress as fast or faster than now?• Funding pressures or a change of manager could change that

Think you aren’t affected as you’re already at the top of the pay scale?• Further changes could affect every one of us

Think Gove will stop at pay?• Gove wants teachers to work longer hours and have shorter holidays –

working conditions are part of a new STRB remit

PAY AND SCHOOL BUDGETS

STRB reviewing pay for September 2013• Government pay limit - an average 1% increase - to apply• STRB asked to advise on “adjustments to the salary scales … to

reflect the average 1%” – no guarantee of any increase yet

School funding for 2013-14 already announced• Zero cash increase per pupil in overall funding for schools• “Minimum Funding Guarantee” – this allows individual

schools to get up to 1.5% less per pupil after formula changes• Pupil Premium up by 45% - only part protection against these

real terms cuts in schools’ main budgets

THE NUT'S RESPONSE

Joint NUT and NASUWT programme of lobbying, rallies, action short of strike action and strike action• First strike set for 27 June in North West - rest of England &

Wales to strike in rolling action before autumn half term• All England & Wales national strike before Christmas • Escalating programme of regional / national strike action - to

demonstrate opposition and get the proposals withdrawnSchool by school action on pay policies - to ensure no change at school level while the national fight continuesSee details at www.teachers.org.uk/campaigns/pay

SCHOOL BY SCHOOL ACTION

Priority is to win the withdrawal of Gove's proposals through national action

But school by school strategy as well• NUT & NASUWT model pay policy and checklist• Focus on protecting existing pay scale points and pay

progression entitlements• Governors to be asked to implement NUT/NASUWT pay policy• Action authorised in any school adopting a policy not

compliant with NUT/NASUWT checklist

GETTING MEMBERS’ SUPPORT

The Union can only act with the support of its members • Talk to other teachers in the school• Encourage teachers to write to their MPs – see the

facility at www.teachers.org.uk/campaigns/pay• Elect an NUT school rep if there isn’t one already

WE ARE WINNING THE ARGUMENT

Most teachers reject Gove• ASOS - protecting teachers but also showing that it is

we not Gove who know the value of teaching

The public also rejects his views• eBacc petition – almost 30,000 signatures helped

force Gove to withdraw his proposals for the EBCs

We can see off this Government’s attacks on teachers and our education system!