'We can't afford to stay': Teachers turn out in protest against Jersey pay offer

  • Teachers and supporters protested in the Royal Square this lunchtime.

Hundreds of Jersey teachers have been protesting outside the States Chamber this lunchtime as part of a dispute with the government over a proposed pay rise.

The States Employment Board - the body that negotiates public sector pay - proposed giving teachers the same 7.9% pay rise as other government employees, but teaching unions argue it is a "real-terms pay cut."

While more than 300 members of the NEU teaching union are on strike, teachers who are part of the NASUWT and NAHT unions are taking action in their own way by working to rule - refusing to engage with government officers, or answer calls or emails outside of contracted hours.

Teachers voted in favour of strike action in June after rejecting the government's 7.9% pay rise proposal. Credit: ITV Channel

Vice Chair of the SEB, Constable Andy Jehan, says he's sorry teachers rejected a 7.9% pay increase that "other public servants did". 

In January, civil servants in Jersey agreed to the rise, as did school support workers including teaching assistants, break supervisors and caretakers. 

However, it was rejected by the teaching unions despite, according to Constable Jehan, teachers being offered an alternative deal which would have seen the lowest salaries increase by up to 12.1%.

He says teachers are asking for a 15.4% increase which he called "unrealistic, unaffordable, and unsustainable."

Speaking at the strike in the Royal Square, the Chief Minister said the island was going through "difficult times" as it tried to deal with the cost of living crisis and the impact of inflation.

She pointed to the pandemic and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine which had damaged the health of the island's finances.

However, she stressed government officials were "doing their best" to tackle all of these problems.

Assistant Children's Minister, Deputy Louise Doublet, said she "listening" and that there was space for "healthy debates."

Constable Andy Jehan from the SEB says 15.4% increase is "unrealistic, unaffordable, and unsustainable." Credit: ITV Channel

Many teachers, both those new to the profession and those who had been working for years, voiced their concerns on the steps of the States Chamber this afternoon.

One teacher in her second year of teaching, Ayesha, said she returned to the island to teach because she "wanted to give back to the system she had been educated by."

She said the work teachers do is "unseen" and unappreciated", and asked islanders to put themselves in the shoes of teachers to understand the level of dedication they give to their students.

Striking, she said, was a "last resort", but without proper investment, the sector will be "beyond breaking point."

Her points were supported by Caroline, someone who has been working as a teacher for more than 30 years.

She called the SEB's pay offer "unfair", and said during her time as a teacher she'd seen their wages being "disgustingly eroded."

Teachers have the support of some politicians - Reform Jersey's Deputy Rob Ward says years of below-inflation pay rises have led to a recruitment and retention crisis.

He says: "It's really significant that for the first time, even headteachers are saying they need to take action.

"I would urge the government to listen, act on it and actually respect a profession that we desperately need if we're going to build an effective society and effective economy in Jersey."

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