Eight days of strikes are planned for the coming month by members of the National Education Union in a pay dispute with the States Employment Board.
Talks to resolve the dispute involving teaching unions the NEU and the NASUWT and the SEB have so far failed.
A further meeting between officials from the SEB and the unions was due to take place today.
Brendan Carolan, the Jersey NEU president, said the only way his union would call off the strike would be if the SEB made the non-consolidated [lump sum] payments part of permanent pay rises.
‘We’d rather not take strike action, but it would be far worse if teachers were to withdraw their goodwill, ‘ he said. ‘Those extra hours teachers work, we don’t get paid for.
‘If you lose those, you do so at your peril because teachers will just clock off like others and not work at weekends or go away on school trips.
‘That’s what you’ll lose because it’s many hours we’re not paid for but we do because we are professionals.’
Some parents have contacted Senator Tracey Vallois by email, asking what she is doing to cover the days when schools are closed.
In an email to Senator Vallois, Nick Lawler asked: ‘Can you please advise of provisions being set up for my children?
‘As full-time working parents we are unable to afford unpaid leave to accommodate this strike action and continued disruption and would expect the Education Department to provide alternative education facilities for children in this situation.’
An identical email was also sent by Karen Humphries.
Senator Vallois was contacted by the JEP for comment.
Around 300 members of the NEU are expected to walk out on Wednesday, but the action is expected to affect all States secondary schools, as well as a number of the Island’s primary schools. Members of another teaching union, the NASUWT, voted to take action short of striking which means they are refusing to cover for absences by colleagues and other extra duties.
But those teaching Years 11 and 13 have been exempted from strike action to ensure there is no disruption for pupils’ examination preparation.
A number of schools have emailed parents to explain they will be closed on Wednesday and to urge them to make their own child-care arrangements.
In an email from Victoria College Prep, parents are asked to direct any questions or concerns they may have to the States of Jersey and not to the school.
Marina Mauger, the Jersey NASUWT representative, said there was still support among the public for teachers. She said: ‘There’s been a lot on social media this weekend saying the SEB really must sort themselves out.
‘Parents understand that teachers work 60-70 hours a week. There are teachers in France with children this week and that’s 24 hours working and they don’t get paid any more for it.
‘All the unseen things teachers do the public are beginning to understand now.’
Mrs Mauger also said members from her union had received letters from their employer informing them they would be deducted pay for refusing to cover for absences. She said the NASUWT would consider further action if that was not withdrawn.
‘We realise it’s a terrible inconvenience for parents,’ she added. ‘But there hasn’t been any move to resolve the situation.’
A full list of which schools are likely to be affected was not available by the time the JEP went to press.
The planned strike days are:
Wednesday 1 May
Tuesday 7 May
Wednesday 8 May
Wednesday 15 May
Thursday 16 May
Tuesday 21 May
Wednesday 22 May
Thursday 23 May
