Teachers accuse government of 'playing with emotions' in ad condemning strike action

Deputy Elaine Millar has written an open letter to islanders published a local paper criticising industrial action by the NEU. Credit: ITV Channel / Government of Jersey

Teachers in Jersey have condemned a full-page advert the government published in the local newspaper "demonising" the NEU's decision to strike.

The open letter brands this week's three-day strike as "disruptive" and says ongoing strikes are unfair to islanders facing a loss of earnings or annual leave to cover childcare. Responding to the letter, one teacher told ITV News: "The letter has so many lines which basically play on the public's emotions in a bid to turn them against teachers."

Another said they feel the States Employment Board is trying to "turn the public against us" or manipulate teachers' "good nature" in the hope they "feel guilty and back down because it's in our nature to want to do right by children."

The letter's author, Deputy Elaine Millar, insists the government is not "demonising" teachers but, their reluctance to accept a "reasonable and fair" offer of a 7.9% pay rise in favour of a higher one which is "simply unrealistic".

The letter goes on to say the government's pay offer was accepted by other public workers such as the emergency services.

It also adds that in the UK the NEU accepted a less generous offer of a 6.5% pay rise and withdrew their strike action.

Read the SEB's open letter, which was published as a full-page advert in the Jersey Evening Post:

Former teacher and NEU representative, Deputy Rob Ward, has previously condemned the States Employment Board's narrative over teacher strikes.

He said: "Ministers and representatives have created and spread a narrative of teachers damaging children due to the strike action they are taking."

He added: "Every time the current government narrative is expounded, it chips away at the relationship between the education minister, SEB, the Chief Minister and this vital profession."

Deputy Millar had defended the SEB's current offer, she said the board has gone to great lengths to resolve the dispute but insists: "Giving into the unions' demands would put public finances into the red and keep them there."

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