Teaching union calls for Jersey pay deal offer to be withdrawn

Teachers were involved in the dispute for much of last year

A teaching union has urged Jersey's new government not to impose a pay deal on its members.

The National Education Union (NEU) has asked for a letter sent last month containing an ultimatum over an 8% pay rise and strike ban to be withdrawn.

The deal would come in unless the offer was formally rejected by 1 February.

Deputy Rob Ward, who is now responsible for Education, said he remained hopeful a solution could be found on the matter.

The deal offered by the States Employment Board (SEB) also featured a one-off £1,000 payment on top of the proposed pay rise.

Offer 'already rejected'

The offer came off the back of a series of strikes held by teachers in Jersey last year.

NASUWT accepted the offer, but NEU members refused it, claiming it did not address a "real terms pay cut" and "escalating costs of living".

In its latest response to Deputy Elaine Millar, who sent the letter when she was vice-chair of the SEB, the NEU asked for it to be withdrawn "immediately".

NEU bosses said they are willing to negotiate

The NEU said to Ms Millar, who earlier this week became Jersey's treasury and resources minister, the union had "already collectively rejected the pay offer" following a survey of members in December.

They added it did not feel the letter was in accordance with the agreements it has with the States of Jersey for trade union recognition and collective bargaining, and branded it "unlawful".

The NEU said: "We remain willing to negotiate a settlement to the current dispute and we remain committed to engaging with you in line with our respective recognition and collective bargaining agreements.

"We therefore request urgent talks to negotiate a settlement to the dispute and to re-establish good industrial relations."

'Move forwards'

Mr Ward said he and new Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham are keen to resolve the issue.

"I am very hopeful that we can come up with something that is going to settle or solve this dispute," Mr Ward said.

"None of us want to see it happening and we want to move forwards."

Mr Farnham said: "There is a genuine desire by this Government to resolve the current teachers' pay dispute and reset the workplace relationship so that we can move forward."