PROTECTING SCHOOL TEACHERS’ PAY

Michael Gove says he is at war with the teacher unions

In January 2012 he said that teachers are “happy with failure" and "enemies of promise”

We say Michael Gove is waging a war on teachers

THE WAR ON TEACHERS

What Gove has done so far:• Pay freeze• Attack on pensions• Attack on performance management• Forced academisation of schools• And now – Attack on the national pay structure

What he may do in future:• Attack on conditions - PPA time, protection from cover

THE RESULT

NUT/YouGov survey on teacher morale (Jan 2013)• 55% say morale is low or very low• Up 13% since April 2012• 77% disagree with school-based pay determination

“If anyone says to you that 'staff morale is at an all-time low', you know you are doing something right." - Ofsted Chief Inspector Michael Wilshaw, Dec 2011

PAY – CUT BY 15% UNDER GOVE

During the Coalition Government’s term of office:• Pay freeze for 2011 and 2012• 1% limits for 2013 and 2014• Pension contributions up on average by 3.2%

Impact including inflation• Over 15% loss of spending power

Can we afford to stay in teaching?

THE NEW PAY ATTACKS (1)

• End of mandatory pay scales - governing bodies decide if teachers will progress and by how much

• More PRP - all pay progression to be linked to appraisal and to individual teachers’ performance

• Draft 2013 STPCD already published - and will be in schools at start of next term

• Schools to adopt new pay policies and appraisal policies linked to pay for September 2013

• Decisions based on PRP for all teachers beginning in September 2014

THE NEW PAY ATTACKS (2)

• Main scale & upper scale replaced by ranges - no fixed points, schools decide how much to pay

• Progression on all ranges based on performance• Portability of pay points abolished• Portability of UPS status abolished• Tougher criteria for applying to upper scale• Leading Practitioner range replaces ASTs/ETs• New fixed term TLRs (“TLR3”)

10 REASONS TO OPPOSE GOVE'S PAY PROPOSALS

1. He wants to abolish fixed pay points on the pay scales – so no guarantee that you will progress by the same amount as now

2. He wants PRP for all teachers – even though it doesn’t work in schools, and decisions will be based on funding or whether your face fits

3. He wants to end Main Scale progression based on length of service – hitting recruitment and retention of new teachers by creating doubts about pay progression

4. He wants even closer links for appraisal and pay – ending any chance of a process that supports your professional development

5. He wants to change the threshold process – almost certainly to cut the number of teachers moving to the Upper Pay Scale

10 REASONS TO OPPOSE GOVE'S PAY PROPOSALS

6. He wants fixed-term responsibility payments worth less than now – and maybe to review the whole TLR system

7. He wants heads and governors to waste time negotiating pay with every teacher – not supporting teaching and learning

8. He wants schools to be allowed to cut your pay when you move school – teachers will be scared to move and women on career breaks will be hit hardest of all

9. He intends to limit our 2013 increase by only 1% – while inflation and increased pension contributions eat away at our purchasing power.

10. He has accepted the STRB’s view that this is only a first stage in reform – even bigger changes may be in store if we don’t stop this now

WHY GOVE'S PROPOSALS ARE A THREAT TO EVERY TEACHER

Think your head teacher won't want to take advantage by holding down your pay?• Ofsted will be asked to make sure that they do

Think you will progress as fast or faster than now?• Funding pressures or a change of manager could change that

Think you aren’t affected because you’re already at the top of the pay scale?• Further changes could affect every one of us

PAY AND SCHOOL BUDGETS

STRB reviewing pay for September 2013• Government pay limit - an average 1% increase - to apply• STRB asked to advise on “adjustments to the salary scales … to

reflect the average 1%” – no guarantee of any increase yet

School funding for 2013-14 already announced• Zero cash increase per pupil in overall funding for schools• “Minimum Funding Guarantee” – this allows individual

schools to get up to 1.5% less per pupil after formula changes• Pupil Premium up by 45% - only part protection against these

real terms cuts in schools’ main budgets

THE NUT'S RESPONSE

NUT Executive will consider the NUT's strategy on 28 February• NUT in discussions with NASUWT on joint action -

national strike action, extending the current ASOS, school by school action on pay

• National strike action - to demonstrate strength of opposition and get the proposals withdrawn

• School by school action - to ensure no change at school level while the national fight continues

SCHOOL BY SCHOOL ACTION

Priority is to win the withdrawal of Gove's proposals through national action

But school by school strategy as well• NUT model pay policy and checklist• Focus on protecting existing pay scale points and pay

progression entitlements• Governors to be asked to implement NUT policy• Action authorised in any school adopting a policy not

compliant with NUT checklist

WHAT ELSE ARE MEMBERS READY FOR?

The Union can only act with the support of its members • One day action on our own?• A series of actions on our own?• Action as above but if NASUWT were involved?

WE ARE WINNING THE ARGUMENT

Most teachers reject Gove• ASOS - protecting teachers but also showing that it is

we not Gove who know the value of teaching

The public also rejects his views• eBacc petition – almost 30,000 signatures helped

force Gove to withdraw his proposals for the EBCs

We can see off this Government’s attacks on teachers and our education system!