Two days of planned strike action by teachers in Wales next week have been called off with a new pay offer set to be put to members. Members of the National Education Union (NEU) in Wales were set to walk out on March 15 and 16 in a move that was set to cause widespread disruption.
But on Friday night the NEU said planned action in Wales for those days would now not take place as "constructive talks" with the Welsh Government had resulted in a revised pay offer. Strikes planned for England on the same days remain in place.
In a statement the union said since January 19 there had been talks with the Welsh Government "seeking, jointly, to secure a resolution to the pay dispute". While a previous offer that saw a prior planned strike day postponed was ultimately rejected there has now been a new offer. That offer is worth 8% this year, with 1.5% of that in the form of a non-consolidated one-off payment, with another 5% rise next year. There is also a "no detriment" principle meaning that should there ultimately be a higher pay settlement in England that will be matched here.
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An NEU spokesman said: "Taken over two years for teachers on all spine points the pay offer is worth 11.8% consolidated plus the 1.5% non-consolidated payment." All eligible NEU members in Wales will now be consulted through an electronic ballot. The spokesman added: "Talks will continue with Welsh Government on a range of other issues important to NEU members such as school funding and workload including the pressures generated by Estyn and the accountability requirements of consortia."
Education minister Jeremy Miles wrote to unions making the offer as a “gesture of goodwill”. His letter warned that if the latest offer was not accepted before March 17 the money will be lost. He made the offer with no strings attached that it must be accepted as the final deal provided they don’t walk out as planned on March 15 and 16. He also asked the NASUWT not to re-ballot for strike while negotiations on pay and workload continue. NAHT Cymru members are working to rule and also in the talks as are other unions not striking.
The full holding offer from Welsh Government:
- 5% already awarded (fully-funded)
- An extra 1.5% fully consolidated
- 1.5% one-off cash payment
- This makes a total consolidated increase of 6.5% and an in-year boost for the current year of 8%
- The money would be paid in April and backdated to September provided NEU Cymru pauses next week’s industrial action
- For the next academic year 2023-24 unions can continue the dispute or accept a new 5% offer compared to the original 3.5% offer
Nothing has yet been offered for support staff yet but unions are understood to be holding emergency meetings with them.
Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the National Education Union, said: “We thank the Welsh Government for the constructive manner in which they have pursued a solution to the current dispute over pay. It is vital that we do all we can, together, to combat the recruitment and retention crisis and ensure that more people join the profession and stay in the profession. The Welsh Government recognises this and has also understood the importance of the pay offer being fully funded. In addition they have committed to working with us on tackling workload.
“This is in stark contrast to the behaviour of Gillian Keegan who is preventing talks in England. This week she refused even to talks at Acas. The NEU has said time and again we will enter negotiations. The talks can go ahead at any time – it is government who are declining and setting the preconditions, not the NEU.
“If it is true that the [English] education secretary has the blessing of government to negotiate on pay for this year and next, then there is nothing preventing talks other than her own intransigence. We have demonstrated in Wales that we are more than willing to enter serious negotiations and suspend strike action while we consult our members on an offer.”
David Evans, the NEU's Wales Secretary, added: “We have had lengthy negotiations with the Welsh Government and sought clarity which we did not have a few weeks ago. That this is a fully-funded offer will be a relief to our membership. We remain disappointed that the minister was unable to make a cash offer for support staff but at least he is now acknowledging the workload challenges there.”
Responding to Mr Miles' statement on the proposed pay and workload package for teachers in Wales Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “Teachers will be concerned that the offer to pay additional money to teachers now must be honoured without strings attached. Teachers have seen the value of their pay plummet and are struggling with a cost of living crisis that is not of their making. The minister’s offer to deliver an award to teachers on a without prejudice basis before the end of the financial year should mean that teachers will benefit from additional money today rather than empty promises of jam tomorrow.”
Neil Butler, NASUWT national official for Wales, added: “The minister must not seek to play fast and loose with the negotiating machinery that exists in Wales and must ensure that the role of the independent pay review body is fully respected. The minister had already agreed to a remit to the review body (IWPRB). That must be honoured.
“The offer of 5% for teachers’ pay for September 2023 must be a starting point for the IWPRB’s deliberations. Given that headline inflation is forecast to remain high by September it is essential that the pay review body is now allowed to go to work on the remit. The NASUWT will not be blocking the provision of additional pay to teachers and we call on the minister to act in the interests of the majority of the teaching profession and not continue to hold the profession to ransom.”
The NAHT warned it had concerns as local authorities are not fully funding the original 5% offer, which would leave schools picking up the bill from their budgets. The NAHT meets on Monday to discuss the offer. Laura Doel, director of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said: “We welcome the offer from Welsh Government on pay, workload, and funding. This is a positive move but we still have concerns about some elements about the funding of the offer, particularly when we know some local authorities have not funded the current existing 5% pay award. We are working to resolve this at pace and our Welsh executive will meet on Monday to discuss next steps. It is not unreasonable to ask the employers to demonstrate how pay awards are being funded when our members are telling us otherwise.”
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