Explained: the teachers' strike
Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, gives an insight into why teachers are striking for the first time in more than 20 years.
You will have heard that the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has called for strike action from its members in schools on Thursday April 24. This decision was not taken lightly. Indeed it is the first national strike by the Union for twenty years. The reason for this action is explained in more detail in this article, but in short it is because the government has been imposing below inflation pay increases on teachers since 2005 and intends to continue doing this.
The NUT’s campaign for fair pay for teachers is in the interests of children as well as teachers. The NUT has always put the interests of children at the centre of our campaigns. We recognise that the interests of children and the interests of teachers are the same.
Protecting teachers’ pay is the only way to protect education. If we allow teachers’ pay to continue to fall in value, schools will not be able to recruit and retain the teachers they need to deliver the first class education service that all children deserve.
Last resort
The NUT uses strike action as a last resort. The decision to hold a one-day strike on April 24 was taken only because all other options to protect teachers’ pay had been exhausted. The NUT is still prepared to talk to the government about teachers’ pay at any time.
The NUT’s decision to ballot our members for strike action was taken after the government announced that teachers’ pay would increase by 2.45% from September 2008. As you will know from your own experience, inflation is far higher than this. In the past year, inflation has averaged 4.1%. In the light of this, I have written to the School Teachers’ Review Body to request a review of teachers’ pay in line with the review mechanism previously accepted by the government.
Average pay settlements are at 4%. The combination of high inflation and higher pay increases for other jobs means that teachers face pay cuts in real terms and a reduction in the value of their pay compared to others. Teaching needs to attract a high number of graduates each year in the teeth of competition from private sector employers as well as other public sector employers. The NUT always bases its case on the facts and our case for fair pay for teachers is no exception.
Teachers will lose out
It is true that teachers’ pay increased in value until 2004. These increases made it easier for schools to recruit and retain teachers. In recent years, however, the value of teachers’ pay has been reduced. Teachers have been given pay increases lower than the value of inflation in every year since 2004. If the government’s proposed pay cuts are implemented, teachers will lose out even more.
Cuts in teachers’ pay will lead to schools finding it more difficult to recruit and retain the teachers needed to support children’s education. Indeed, there is already evidence that this is happening. Recent figures from the Graduate Teacher Training Registry show significant declines in teacher training applications across a range of secondary subjects as well as a decline in the number wishing to train as primary teachers.
Teaching is a graduate profession and needs to compete with other graduate employers. When potential teachers consider their career options at university, they are likely to be put off teaching when they see that they can get better career prospects in other graduate professions. They can see that, on average, other graduates not only start on higher pay than teachers but also move to higher salaries more quickly.
Boom and bust
The NUT wants to prevent the “boom and bust” in teachers’ pay that has been a problem in previous decades. On a number of occasions in the past, teachers have seen their pay increase only to then have those gains wiped out as pay was held down. These “boom and bust” periods create teacher shortages, sap teachers’ morale and make teaching unattractive to potential recruits. The end result is damaging to the education service and to the interests of children.
Young teachers in particular face significant problems. In addition to struggling to get on the housing ladder the growing costs of essential items like energy and transport are hitting them hard. Also, of course, they are having to pay back student loans at 4.8% whilst having their salary increased by only 2.45%.
At the same time as their pay has been cut, teachers face a heavy workload. Recent research has shown that teachers work more than 50 hours a week – hard work for the benefit of children. Surely the least they can expect is appropriate recognition for this work in terms of their pay?
The government has said that we have a teaching profession to be proud of – but at the same time tries to cut teachers’ pay. The government has welcomed the rise in educational standards, but refuses to reward teachers for the part they have played in this.
Invest in our education
The UK is the one of the world’s richest countries, but growing global competition means we need to invest in our education service to protect all our futures.
I hope therefore that you will agree with me that to create a first class education service for the benefit of our children and for us all, we need to make sure that teachers receive proper, professional pay levels. We expect a lot from our teachers: dedication, commitment, long working hours. The least they should expect from the government is fair pay for their work.
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