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The Chief Minister and the Vice-Chair of the States Employment Board were greeted with booing as they went to meet teachers protesting over pay on Wednesday.
Eight secondary schools and 22 primary schools are closed today as a result of strike action being led by the National Education Union (NEU).
Its members, who are aiming to halt the erosion in their pay, are marking the day with a lunchtime rally outside the States Chamber.
Video: Sam Wharmby, Joint Branch and District Secretary for NEU Jersey, launched the protest.
Action began at 12:30, with Sam Wharmby, Joint Branch and District Secretary for NEU Jersey, stating to rapturous applause: “We have gathered here today because of the failings of the States Employment Board [the panel of politicians acting as official employer of all public sector workers], driving the teachers out of the profession they love.”
As this morning’s States Assembly meeting came to a close around 13:00, several States Members went to join the teachers striking – including Chief Minister and Chair of the States Employment Board Kristina Moore and Vice-Chair Andy Jehan, who were met with significant booing and heckling.
Video: Ministers were met with loud boos as they left the States Chamber.
Addressing the crowd, Deputy Moore referred to when she stood with teachers protesting in 2019, but was met with a shout of, “Were you electioneering then?”
“No, sir,” she responded.
Video: The Chief Minister received several heckles as she attempted to make a speech explaining the Government's position.
The Chief Minister went on to tell the crowd that she has “huge respect for all of you and the work that you do”, but noted that “the economy was in a very different place” – pre-covid and the Ukraine war – when the previous pay dispute was ongoing.
The Government had offered teachers a 7.9% pay increase in line with other pay groups – but members of both the NASUWT and NEU argued that this was not enough given that pay had not risen in step with cost-of-living for many years. They said that teachers had suffered an 8.8% real-terms pay cut since 2008.
The NEU have requested a one-year pay deal of 2023 RPI + 5%.
The NASUWT – whose members are taking action short of strike – have called on the SEB to agree the following pay awards for teachers:
January 2023: RPI + 5%
January 2024: RPI + 4%
January 2025: RPI + 4%
Both sides also want to see improvements in their working conditions amid concerns about increasing workload and extracurricular activities.
Results of a 2021 survey released last April showed that teachers were working on average eight weeks a year for free, and that three in five had considered leaving their jobs.
That staff survey found that teachers were working on average an extra eight weeks per year for free, and that fewer than half of staff felt well paid for what they do.
Adrian Moss, the Joint District and Branch Secretary for the NEU, previously told Express that teachers had "run out of goodwill".
Solidarity with @JerseyNEU members who are forgoing a days pay today, so they can stand up for their profession and the future of Jersey’s education system.
— Deputy Sam Mézec (@SamMezecJsy) July 5, 2023
Reform Jersey unequivocally supports the right of workers to democratically organise to support their interests.
"Teachers are paid for two thirds of the time that they work and give a third of their time for free. This has been reported in the Jersey teacher’s survey of hours actually worked to contractual hours. This lack of recognition of the actual time that teachers work has fuelled the anger over the below inflation pay rise that has been offered not only this year, but over many years since 2008," he continued.
Assistant Chief Minister Andy Jehan, who is Vice-Chair of the SEB, yesterday published a blog entitled: 'Why we can't give teachers a 15.4% pay rise' [15.4% is the sum of the teachers' pay request].
He said that teachers’ pay had risen by 22.5% since 2013, with inflation increasing by 24.1% over the same period.
He said a qualified entry-level teacher would earn 26% more in Jersey than they would be paid in Guernsey.
Constable Jehan also queried the strength of feeling among teachers, citing turnouts for recent ballots of 59% (for the NEU) and 51% (NASUWT).
He wrote: "We remain ready to enter arbitration to resolve this, but in the meantime our good faith discussions, which form the basis of professional negotiation, are hampered by threatened strike action.
"Ultimately, public employees pay comes from your taxes. We must be mindful that many people are also impacted by the cost of living pressures and inflation, but additional taxes are not the answer to this problem, nor is greater public spending."
Meanwhile, Assistant Education Minister Richard Vibert told the States Assembly yesterday that he did not believe there is a "crisis" in education recruitment and retention as teachers claim.
He stated that teachers were being "successfully recruited and retained" in the island, with the "attrition rate" for Jersey teachers as 3.6% in the last year compared to the UK's attrition rate of 9.4%.
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