Unions united in pay criticism


Five teaching unions have together kicked back against a pay award which they say imposes huge real terms cuts on teachers and school leaders in England, on top of those already inflicted since 2010.

As consultation closed on the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) report and its implementation, ASCL, Community, NAHT, NASUWT and the NEU warned it would deepen already-critical recruitment and retention problems, bringing more damage to the education system.


“Given the significantly higher current rates of inflation than those at the time the STRB made its recommendations, the recommendations must be revisited with a view to increasing the proposed 5% increase”. Instead of restorative action on pay already lost, the government proposed to accept “huge real terms pay cuts”. 


Within that, the unions said, higher increases for starting pay and early careers would cause enormous anger among experienced teachers and school leaders, and contribute to significant retention problems.


By not challenging the inadequate funding envelope, the STRB was effectively supporting the government by undermining the “objective evidence-based approach” essential to any credible assessment of teacher pay and conditions. 


They again called for the urgent removal of performance related pay and for an objective, evidence-based analysis of the investment needed to solve workload problems.