The biggest teachers’ union has written to the education secretary complaining about “delays” in starting the teacher pay process for next year.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, has called on Gillian Keegan to “urgently issue a remit to the STRB [School Teachers’ Review Body, the independent body that makes recommendations on pay] that includes the key issue of restoring the pay lost in real terms”.
“In the interests of teachers, parents and pupils, the government must reverse the harm its policies have done to our education service,” he said.
“Last July, the secretary of state promised to complete the review body process earlier this year to better align it with schools’ budget cycle. And yet her remit letter to the STRB is already three weeks later than last year.”
His call comes in the same week that the NASUWT teaching union accused Ms Keegan of “deliberately frustrating” the teacher pay process for next year.
Teacher pay review process warning
In the letter sent today, the NEU said it did not see how Ms Keegan could fulfil a commitment she made to settle the statutory process on teacher pay before the school budget cycle next year “when you are already starting it at least three weeks later”.
Each year the education secretary writes to the STRB asking for recommendations on teacher pay and conditions for the next year, and asking it to come back with a report in May.
Last year Ms Keegan wrote to the STRB on 15 November, but she hasn’t done so yet this term.
The NEU letter added: “Failure to engage with us on pay matters in a timely fashion not only, once again, frustrates the ability of school leaders to plan ahead and offer their staff and parents the certainty they deserve. It also further undermines the rights of our members to be represented by their union over their pay.”
The NEU also said the delay in the pay review process “forestalls” attempts to address issues like teacher recruitment and rising school costs.
“So, your delay issuing the remit letter to the STRB not only fails teachers and leaders. It fails pupils and parents too,” the letter said.
The DfE has been approached for comment.
