To both ends of the earth, salaries are the issue

In the context of the salaries campaign in NSW, JOHN DIXON looks at the teacher salaries campaign in England and Wales.

"Fair Pay for Teachers" is not another catch-phrase from the Federation leadership in a sound grab to the media recently - although it could be - the issues are the same. In fact it is the salaries campaign slogan of the National Union of Teachers (UK), the largest teachers' organisation in Europe with more than 240,000 teacher members. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) Executive has called for national action on April 24 by all NUT members in England and Wales on the issue of teacher salaries. Under UK industrial law NUT now has to ballot all members over the next month to endorse the action.

In November 2007 the School Teacher Review Board (STRB), a body formed in 1992 to regulate teachers' pay and conditions brought down a decision of a pay increase for 2008, 2009, 2010; a pay increase of 2.45 per cent per annum when inflation in England is running at more than four per cent. The STRB is a tool of the government. In fact, in England pay increases have been below inflation since 2005 - in effect a five year 'wages freeze' for teachers and their families.

In the same period in the UK executive private sector salaries have been growing at more than five per cent per annum. The pay of UK chief executives of the top 100 companies went up by 37 per cent last year, after increases of 28 per cent and 16 per cent in the previous two years.

It sounds like NSW Treasurer Michael Costa and the NSW Treasury officials are singing from the same economic-rationalist hymn book!

The NUT National Executive has said enough is enough and it's time to call a halt and take sustained industrial action. This will be the first national strike for more than 20 years in England and Wales.

NUT General Secretary Steve Sinnott said:

"While the workload demands on teachers remain, the real value of teachers' pay falls and falls. The plight of young teachers is of particular concern. Below-inflation pay rises put housing beyond their reach and their salaries fall short of their peers in other graduate professions.

"Problems of recruitment and retention, teacher shortages, stress and low morale affect all teachers because teachers work together in teams.

"Following below-inflation pay awards since 2005, the latest award of 2.45 per cent, compared with inflation at four per cent, is a step too far. Enough is enough; it is time to call a halt.

"The union's national executive met on January 24 to consider the Government's decision to impose the below-inflation pay increase on teachers and to determine the next steps in the campaign to protect and restore the living standards of teachers and their families."

He also said:

"Young teachers are particularly affected, now losing at least two pounds a day in purchasing power due to below-inflation pay increases. For teachers working more than 50 hours a week it is time to call a halt.

"For those of us who have been in the profession for some time we know the impact of boom and bust pay policies. These policies result in recruitment and retention problems, cause teacher shortages and sap morale.

"The NUT wants no return to those bleak days which damaged the education of our children."

There are distinct parallels between our own situation here in NSW and that in England and Wales.

In NSW, the current salaries award expires at the end of this year. The union is seeking five per cent per annum plus one per cent in superannuation to combat inflation and give younger teachers decent retirement incomes. A Labor Government is in power with a born again conservative treasurer who has offered public sector workers no more than 2.5 per cent per annum salary increases unless they give over conditions.

As in the UK there are increasing teacher shortages, particularly in major cities. Many of our younger Australian teachers are propping up the supply teaching in many schools, not as a career but as short term job while seeing Europe.

Federation will watch developments closely in the UK as the action develops. Obviously governments and bureaucrats workshop their ideas, similarly teacher unions can learn from one another as teacher employment increasingly becomes a global issue.

To watch a vodcast of Steve Sinnott speaking on the issue go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAIJmU8yvv0.

John Dixon is the Assistant General Secretary (Communications and Administration).

Death and disability award application

Other workers and their pay claims

For further information

March 2008 contents