STRIKE action today by the head teachers’ union has been suspended, as NAHT members vote on whether to accept a new pay offer from the government.
The offer from the States Employment Board, which includes backdating the previous 7.9% pay offer to 1 January and an additional ‘Education Reform Allowance’ worth approximately 2.5%, was put to members in a meeting on Tuesday night.
If leaders vote to accept the offer, they will further receive a further one-off allowance for next year in the case that work between NAHT and the government to address changes to school leaders’ roles and the impact of the Education Reform Programme has not been completed by October 30 next year.
The offer also pledges to explore the possibility of a healthcare plan for school leaders, along with commitments to review terms and conditions and to explore other benefits.
The online ballot for members will run for six days up to and including next Monday.
This comes after the union staged a day-long strike in the Island last month, the first in the union’s history in Jersey.
Rob Kelsall, NAHT’s assistant general secretary, said: “The last thing dedicated educational professionals want to do is go on strike, but prior to this new offer there had been no tangible improvements to the previous deal.
“The stark reality is that the pay of school leaders on the island has fallen by more than 11% in real terms since 2012, while at the same time workload has increased, especially on the back of the pandemic.
“It is now for members to determine whether this offer is a sufficient first step in beginning to reverse these pay cuts and make school leadership in Jersey a more attractive proposition amid a growing recruitment and retention crisis in the education profession.”
NAHT members began action short of strike in early July.
