30% of teachers denied pay progression this year!

According to an National Union of Teachers (NUT) survey 30% of teachers have been denied pay progression this year under new performance related pay rules brought in from September 2013.

The survey also found that denial of pay progression was higher in primary schools that in secondary schools, and was higher for black and minority ethnic teachers. 90% of those denied progression reported that there was no indication that this was a possibility in the year.

More than three quarters effected said they were not planning on appealing the decision, despite NUT advise to do so. However appealing pay decisions is an individual and isolating process, and requires the teacher to stand up to management alone. The NUT has so far failed to organise an effective industrial dispute on pay, and delayed fighting the proposals until after schools had to put them in place in September 2013.

Teachers, or indeed groups of teachers in schools, should not be left isolated to fight denial of pay progression. An offensive campaign to reinstate national pay is needed. However the NUT should go beyond that to make a pay claim for a £2000 increase for all teachers to account for pay lost through pay freezes and inflation. Every year the union should negotiate a pay increase, at least in line with inflation, with the government.