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A politician is challenging the government group responsible for setting teachers’ pay to spend a day in their shoes.
The calls came from St. Helier Deputy and former teacher Rob Ward, as he hit out at the “intransigent and defiant” States Employment Board (SEB) during a speech to hundreds of education staff, who yesterday held their first of up to eight strikes this month.
They are asking for wage rises in line with increases in the cost of living locally, but negotiations have now stalled after the government demanded that a raft of cost-saving reforms – potentially including longer school days – are implemented ahead of any pay changes, as Express revealed yesterday.
Video: Deputy Ward sets his ‘shadow a teacher’ challenge.
Addressing a rally at the Weighbridge, which included over half of the National Education Union’s (NEU) membership, Deputy Ward apologised on behalf of the government for failing to resolve the ongoing pay dispute, adding that “progressive members" in the Assembly had tried to find a compromise but unfortunately without success.
"Education is the key to us moving on as an island and as a community and you are the holders of that key. Without valuing you, we will not move forward,” he said.
The Deputy added that he believed the SEB didn’t truly understand the role of teachers, commenting: “They have a different mindset one of spreadsheets, one of numbers and one of future finance that I'm not sure they even understand themselves.”
He called for members of the SEB to come and shadow teachers for a week to see the work they do.
Pictured: One of the signs at today's protest, referring to plans to merge Liberation Square and the Weighbridge.
Deputy Ward told protestors: "I would like to offer your services to any States
"And then we’ll talk about whether they actually understand the value that you have to this island and this community."
The St. Helier representative also called for "nonsense" about the holidays teachers have, and the pay they allegedly get "to be absolutely changed and destroyed."
To islanders who had complained of being inconvenienced by this month’s strikes, meanwhile, the Deputy had this message: “Support your teachers like they support your children every single day, every single minute and above and beyond every single day.”
Pictured: Hundreds of teachers gathered at the Weighbridge at lunchtime.
He reminded them that it is with teachers’ help that children grow into "well-rounded, intelligent, thoughtful and able young members of society”.
Concluding his speech, he urged teachers to keep fighting and to not falter. "We will come out with an outcome," he promised. "There are members fighting for the good of you, the good of education and the good of our young people."
Deputies Carina Alves, Louise Doublet, Kevin Pamplin and Geoff Southern were also at the protest, along with Minister for Children Senator Sam Mézec, and St. Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft, who said members of the SEB should be "locked up in a room to sort this out."
The NEU have now confirmed that further strikes will be going ahead on 7 and 8 May.
Fantastic turn out at the @NEUnion Jersey strike rally in St Helier this afternoon. Well over half the membership in attendance!! Vast majority of schools closed or partially closed. Pay Jersey teachers a fair salary!!! pic.twitter.com/NV1pB51zGq
— Robin Head (@Robin_Neu2) May 1, 2019
While the NEU, which represents 208 members, declined to consider education reforms ahead of teacher pay being agreed, the government said in a statement released last night that it would be continuing to work with the island's biggest teaching union NASUWT on agreeing savings to fund any wage increases.
They'll next be sitting at the table with the SEB on 7 May.
Chief Minister Senator John Le Fondré praised what he described as a "positive approach", adding: "There is still a lot of hard work to do to deliver on this ambitious review, but there is clear willingness from SEB and from NASUWT to end the dispute. This will also include renewing and strengthening the Partnership Agreement with NASUWT, which provides a forum for discussion and agreement on further ways to enhance educational achievement in all our schools and colleges."
Meanwhile, he had more disparaging words for the NEU, which he described as "not serious about seeking resolution" in comparison to NASUWT.
Pictured: A graphic released by the States Employment Board detailing the 2020 pay offer following yesterday's protest.
He hit out at this month's planned walk-outs as "deliberately harming our children's education and causing cost and inconvenience to parents and employers."
"SEB feel that the proposals we have set out to resolve the pay disputes are fair and reasonable and have a good chance of leading to a comprehensive package which all parties, including teachers, will find acceptable," he continued.
The SEB has since released a graphic detailing that, under the terms of the current 2020 pay offer, teachers' salaries will vary between a minimum of £33,692 to a maximum of £72,868.
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