Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union in Jersey are now being balloted for industrial action over pay and workload.

The ballot opened on Monday (15th May) and will close on Monday 12th June. Members in all Jersey government schools (including Highlands College), grant aided colleges, and independent schools will be balloted for both strike action and action short of strike action.

The ballot is the result of the failure of the States to address the years of real terms pay erosion that teachers have suffered since 2008 or to address spiralling workloads.

Taking into account the pay offer for the current academic year, which represented a real terms pay cut of 2.5% when benchmarked against RPI in September 2022, teachers in Jersey have suffered an 8.8% real-terms pay cut since 2008.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:

“Due to the unwillingness of the States to re-enter into negotiations with us over pay and workload we have been left with no choice but to open a ballot of members for industrial action.

“The current pay offer is insufficient, given the historic erosion of pay, the lack of competitiveness of teachers’ salaries compared to other professions, and the acute recruitment and retention issues that Jersey schools are currently experiencing.

“Salaries are also increasingly uncompetitive compared with the UK, once the higher cost of living is taken into consideration.

“Pay has been eroded during a period when teachers have seen their workloads spiral upwards, a toxic combination which has left teachers feeling increasingly frustrated, demoralised and angry.

“We remain open to further negotiations with the States, but in the absence of any action from ministers we have been left with no choice but to move to a ballot of members for potential future industrial action.”