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A letter to teachers offering them a pay deal in return for losing the ability to strike for three years has been revoked by the new Government – and replaced with a new offer including a £1,500 one-off payment.
The previous Government's pay offer was a 8% consolidated increase in pay and one-off payment of £1,000 for 2024.
This was relayed in a letter in January stating that teachers would have that deal forced into their wage packets unless they explicitly opted out of receiving the rise by February – something that led members of the National Education Union to seek legal advice.
However, a letter from new Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham, Chair of the States Employment Board, was yesterday circulated to union leaders and teachers outlining new proposals.
CLICK TO READ IN FULL: The offer from the previous Government which has now been withdrawn.
The NEU also confirmed to members that the previous letter had been withdrawn.
While the 2024 pay offer of an 8% increase remains unchanged, proposed rises equivalent to inflation for 2025 and 2026 have been increased to a figure of 1% above inflation.
A one-off payment of £1,000 to each teacher has now been increased to £1,500, subject to collaboration between teachers and the Education Department in supporting strategic plans for education reform.
Members! Please check your inbox for a message from the SE region for a very important pay update. Thanks to the AMAZING resolve and resilience of NEU MEMBERS, we have a new pay offer that will benefit ALL teachers in the island ????
— NEU Jersey (@NEUnion_jersey) February 6, 2024
The previous pay offer was rejected by members of the National Education Union in December, but then accepted by members of the other main teaching union, the NASUWT shortly before Christmas.
The new government has wasted little time in seeking to resolve the ongoing dispute, with the letter stating that “as ever in negotiations, both parties seek a mutual position of benefit and understanding”.
If accepted, the one-off payment will be made to teachers on 29 February, the letter confirms.
Teaching unions are now likely to canvass the views of members prior to responding to the new offer.
Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham commented this afternoon: “It is a priority to reset workplace relations with teachers and remove any doubt about the value we place on them and our education system.
“We will make further comment once negotiations are concluded.”
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