Community has told the School Teachers’ Review Body that a pay increase in September 2023 of 3% for most teachers and leaders in England would be “completely unacceptable” – and criticised the review body process itself.
In its latest submission to the STRB, the union said that, on the basis of current inflation predictions, such low rise would result in “yet another significant real-terms pay cut”.
National Officer Helen Osgood said:
“We need urgent action on teacher and leader pay to break the dismal cycle of pay cuts that we have seen since 2010.
“The review body process – constrained by the Government’s deliberate attempts to ignore the damage caused by its political choices – has not protected teachers and school leaders from devastating pay cuts, or protected the education service from the huge recruitment and retention problems to which pay cuts have contributed.
“Major pay reforms, dismantling the national pay structure and imposing unfair PRP (performance-related pay) have created significant problems, but remain in place and unchallenged by the review body process.
“An urgent change of course is required. We need fully-funded, inflation-plus and undifferentiated pay increases that begin to restore the pay lost in real terms, and are sufficient to recruit, retain and value the teachers and leaders our education service needs.
“The Government must do more than ‘recognise there are pressures’. It must provide a robust action plan alongside the funds to implement an above inflation pay rise.”
Further information
Community’s STRB submission (March 2023) (pdf)
Community’s Supplementary Evidence to the STRB (April 2023) (pdf)
Joint union statement (March 2023) (pdf)
Joint union press release (March 2023) (pdf)
If you are a member of Community and need help or advice, please contact us at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.
© Community Trade Union 2024