Senator John Le Fondré said members of the National Education Union were not being ‘serious’ about resolving the long-running pay dispute amid the threat of eight days of strikes this month.
On Wednesday, NEU members gathered at the Weighbridge for the first day of industrial action to protest against the ongoing dispute over pay with the States Employment Board.
Senator Le Fondré later released a statement attacking the NEU’s commitment to the negotiation process, and said their planned action – which could lead to some students being in school for just seven days in May – was harming the education of young Islanders.
The Chief Minister also said that the NEU had just 208 members. However, the NEU has since said that is has 539 Jersey members – making it the ‘largest teachers’ union in Jersey’.
Ian Stevenson, NEU regional secretary, said: ‘The statement referring to a refusal to participate in education reform is in fact contrary to the statements made by the NEU during the negotiations.
‘The NEU put forward various proposals to resolve the dispute which included a three-year, two-year and one-year pay award. All of these offers were based on a further commitment to engaging in talks about education reform.
‘The representatives of the States Employment Board declined each and every one of those offers to settle the dispute, and bring about an end to the strike
action.’
Mr Stevenson also refuted claims that his union was not serious about coming to a resolution and said that they had initiated negotiations.
‘It is difficult to understand, given the above, how it is possible for you [Chief Minister] to conclude that the NEU is “not serious about seeking a resolution”.
‘It was the NEU that initiated the latest round of talks to resolve the pay dispute. It was also the NEU that, despite the recent break down of those talks, proposed more talks be scheduled as soon as could be arranged to continue to seek a settlement to this dispute.’
According to an open letter published by the States, which included Senator Le Fondré’s statement on the latest pay offer, including allowances, 80.3% of Jersey teachers would £50,000 or more each year and 38.3% would earn £60,000 if they accepted the deal.
However, Mr Stevenson said those figures were being presented out of context.
‘The statement’s claim regarding the pay award itself we believe fails to take account the context of the pay dispute, which is that in real terms Jersey teachers have seen their pay and living
standards fall over the last decade,’ he said.
Meanwhile, the Island’s other main teaching union – the NASUWT – is currently carrying out its own industrial action by not covering teacher absences.
