More than one hundred teachers have staged a protest in the Royal Square during a day of strikes over the ongoing pay dispute.
Members of the NEU took part in the action after rejecting the government’s 7.9% pay offer.
Unions are requesting a 15.4% pay rise, which they say factors in inflation and compensates workers for real-terms pay cuts in recent years.
After emerging from the States Chamber during the lunch break alongside Assistant Chief Minister Andy Jehan, Chief Minister Kristina Moore was heckled and booed as she told those present that ‘it gives us no pleasure to see you all here’ and that it was ‘a difficult day for us all’.
One experienced teacher with more than 30 years’ experience said pay levels had been ‘disgustingly eroded’ and that it was time to look after teachers.
A younger colleague, in her second year as a teacher, said that the profession would soon be ‘beyond breaking point’.
The NEU, which timed the protest to coincide with today’s States sitting, has previously said that further industrial action could be held in the next academic year.
Members of the other main teaching union, the NASUWT, are currently working to rule but are not taking part in the strike.
Just three out of 33 government schools – Mont Nicolle, Bel Royal and St Peter’s – opened today, along with the special needs facilities at La Sente/La Passarelle and Highlands College.
Eight secondary and 22 primary schools closed.
This week, Assistant Chief Minister Andy Jehan, vice-chair of the SEB, said teachers’ pay had risen by 22.5% since 2013, with inflation increasing by 24.1% over the same period.
He said a qualified entry-level teacher would earn 26% more in Jersey than they would be paid in Guernsey.
Mr Jehan also queried the strength of feeling among teachers, citing turnouts for recent ballots of 59% (for the NEU) and 51% (NASUWT).
Chief Minister Kristina Moore said that meeting teachers’ pay demand would be inflationary and that there was a duty to all Islanders not to fuel the cost-of-living challenges they were experiencing.
