Chief Minister publishes video mistakenly saying NASUWT members accepted pay deal

  • In a now-deleted video shared on the government's social media channels, the Chief Minister stated members of the NASUWT had accepted the States Employment Board's latest pay offer

Jersey's government has been accused of misleading islanders after the Chief Minister claimed the teaching union, the NASUWT, accepted its latest pay offer in a video released via social media.

In the now-deleted post, Deputy Kristina Moore looks ahead to events in Jersey including the two-day walkout by thousands of teachers.

Currently, the States Employment Board is offering a 7.9% pay rise which unions claim is effectively a "real-terms pay cut".

In the monologue, the Chief Minister said she "greatly regrets" the disruption the ongoing industrial action will cause islanders.

Deputy Moore went on to say: "One union, the NASUWT, has accepted our offer - and I urge the others to engage in a process of binding arbitration and end this disruption to family life."

The NASUWT has not accepted the SEB's pay offer, and members are still working to rule.

Union representative Marina Mauger told members the Chief Minister's statement is "completely inaccurate and untrue", and confirmed that action short of strike action is ongoing.

She said: "Such inaccurate public statements are damaging and misleading and will only serve to further affect relationships between unions and the employer.

"Questions need to be asked about who, in the very-costly-to-the-taxpayer Communications Unit is responsible for these continual errors."

Mrs Mauger added: "Whilst these errors continue to be made, especially on the eve of schools closing through industrial action, it begs the question of how seriously the government is committed to good relationships with the unions.

"The NASUWT would like to see a complete retraction and apology from the SEB who seem to be attempting to divide unions instead of respecting the fact we are all teachers and lecturers fighting for the same cause albeit in slightly different ways."

While NASUWT members have previously joined other unions in strike action, they are currently just working to rule. Credit: ITV Channel

It comes after the Chief Minister had to apologise for a controversial social media post containing "teacher strike facts" which were described as "inflammatory" and "insulting" to teachers.

Deputy Moore said the previous post was "not specifically authorised or approved by a minister" when it was shared online.

Responding to the latest communications misstep, she told ITV News: "As soon as we realised there was a problem, we removed it.

"It was absolutely my responsibility. In my enthusiasm to communicate with people... I used the wrong words.

"I absolutely understand the NASUWT remain in dispute with us over this year's pay offer, although I was trying to express that I was grateful to them for withdrawing from their strike action this week."

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