School leaders vote to strike

Thursday 20 December 2018

Local head teachers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in a protest against what they describe as a “real-terms pay cut”.

The Jersey branch of the National Association of Head Teachers decided to ballot on industrial action following the States’ two-year public sector pay deal, which they said was below rises in the cost of living and didn’t represent the “essential work” they carry out in the island’s schools on a daily basis.

The results of the ballot, which had a 75% turnout, saw 87% of head teachers vote in favour of strike action, while 100% opted for action stopping “short of a strike”.

Sam Cooper, NAHT Branch President for Jersey, said that, while there was no “immediate” plan for action, the ballot result “clearly shows the strength of feeling” from the island’s school leaders.

“We hope that it will prompt the States of Jersey to consider their priorities and to come back to the table,” he commented.

Video: At a public sector union meeting in October, Mr Cooper launched a blistering attack on the States for giving the island's teaching staff below inflation pay rises amid increasing workload pressures.

“No immediate industrial action is planned, but we have had enough of being taken for granted year after year. Despite our important work and the fact that educational standards are rising in Jersey, school leaders and all public sector workers are not getting a fair deal. The door is still open for the employers here, but we have reached the eleventh hour.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, added: “We are right behind our colleagues in Jersey. We have seen that failures to implement fair pay settlements for leaders and their teams have had a huge and negative impact on recruitment and retention.

“Without a skilled and motivated workforce, none of Jersey’s aspirations to raise the academic and social standards and outcomes for the children and young people on the island will come to fruition. The current pay offer does not cover the expectation placed upon Jersey’s school leaders.”

In a previous speech given as part of an all public sector union meeting, Mr Cooper had previously slammed the States for apparently taking teachers "for granted".

In it, he stated that his fellow leaders had also “had enough” of increased levels of bureaucracy “without the appropriate time to respond” and of looking out for the wellbeing of other staff without the States considering the impact for those at the top - rising pressures that were not matched with an appropriate salary increase, he said.