Teachers Strike Over Pay

30 States schools are shut today (5 July) as teachers strike over what they call 'real-term pay cuts'.

Nearly 400 teachers, part of the National Education Union, rejected a 7.9% pay offer in a ballot May.

The NEU has called on the Education Minister, Deputy Inna Gardiner, to intervene.

Teachers are gathering outside the States Assembly building in the Royal Square at lunchtime to protest for better pay.

Adrian Moss, a classroom teacher, says education runs on goodwill, and teachers have run out of goodwill.

"According to the Jersey teachers survey of hours, teachers are paid for two-thirds of the time that they work and give a third of their time for free.

Teachers work late into the night and at weekends to ensure their students have engaging lessons with a range of stimulating activities embedded within them."

Parents outside Springfield Primary School at home-time on the eve of the strike told Channel 103 how they feel about the strike action:

Many said the  strikes are an inconvenience due to having to find childcare, but that they support the teachers asking for more money.

A father of a Springfield Primary School pupil:

I can totally understand why the teachers are doing it, but at the same time for working parents at short notice it's hard to find childcare.

Primary school pupil at Springfield:

I think it's bad because they're not getting paid that much. They help me with my work a lot.

When I'm an adult I'm going to be confused if I get paid not that much money.

A mother of a pupil at Springfield:

I'm all for it, I think they need more money and they need more support. I love the school here.

Arbitration has been offered in an attempt to settle the dispute but  Nick Childs, the NEU's Senior Regional Officer, says they have little faith in the process:

“We have little faith in binding arbitration that saw members in Guernsey have a below inflation pay award imposed earlier this year.

We are calling on the Education Minister to engage in genuine negotiations over the erosion in teachers’ pay. To date negotiation has been minimal. This is how we will resolve this dispute”

The NASWUT and NAHT unions are also taking industrial action, short of a strike.

Vice chair of the States Employment Board, Constable Andy Jehan says the pay offer is fair.

"It does not match the current rate of inflation  - but we have got a responsibility to make sure things are affordable and sustainable.

We are trying to put more resources, more investment into education."

Schools closed on 5 July:

Primary Schools

• d'Auvergne
• ​First Tower
• ​Grands Vaux
• ​Grouville
• ​Janvrin
• ​La Moye
• ​Les Landes
• ​Mont à L’Abbé
• ​Plat Douet
• ​Rouge Bouillon
• ​Samares
• ​Springfield
• ​St Clement's
• ​St John's
• ​St Lawrence
• ​St Luke's
• ​St Mary's
• ​St Saviour's
• ​Trinity
• ​Victoria College Prep

Secondary Schools

• ​Grainville
• ​Haute Vallee
• ​Hautlieu
• ​Jersey College for Girls
• ​Le Rocquier
• ​Les Quennevais
• ​Mont à L’Abbé
• ​Victoria College

Open schools:

• Bel Royal
• Jersey College Prep
• La Sente/ La Passarelle
• Mont Nicolle
• St Peter's