Teachers’ Pay in East Sussex

Teachers’ Pay in East Sussex Nearly all state schools in East Sussex have stuck to National School Teachers Pay and Conditions. However as the Government has pushed to break up national pay bargaining more and more ‘freedoms’ have been given within these conditions for schools to change teachers’ pay at a local level. The School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document now only sets the top and bottom of the main and upper pay scales. Rather than make individual decisions most East Sussex schools including the academies follow a pay policy written by East Sussex County Council.

Teachers’ Pay in East Sussex For the first time it is this East Sussex Pay Policy that recommends teachers in East Sussex receive lower pay than many other areas nationally, including across the border in Brighton and Hove. This is against the join union advice sent out and endorsed by not only the National Education Union but also by the NAHT (Primary Headteachers) and ASCL (Secondary Headteachers). The drop in pay is because East Sussex have not applied a 2% uplift across the main pay scale.

East Sussex Union Scales Main Pay Scale Main Pay Range for Teachers 2017/18 Minimum Reference Point 1 £22,917 Reference Point 2 £24,486 Reference Point 3 £26,454 Reference Point 4 £28,490 Reference Point 5 £30,735 Reference Point 6a £32,164 Maximum Reference Point 6b £33,824   E&W (excl. the London Area) 1 (minimum) £22,917 2 £24,728 3 £26,716 4 £28,772 5 £31,039 6 (maximum) £33,824 Upper Pay Range Upper Pay Range for Teachers 2017/18 Minimum Reference Point 1 £35,927 Reference Point 2 £36,591 Reference Point 3 £37,258 Reference Point 4 £37,944 Maximum Reference Point 5 £38,633   E&W (excl. the London Area) 1 (minimum) £35,927 2 £37,258 3 (maximum) £38,633

The Difference in Pay Pay Point Loss MPS 2 -£242 MPS 3 -£262 MPS 4 -£282 MPS 5 -£304 In addition the East Sussex Pay Policy also has other unacceptable sections: You can be moved down the pay scale when getting a job with an East Sussex School There are 7 points on the main pay scale delaying by a year the chance to access the top if the range.

Barking and Dagenham Blackburn with Darwen Bedfordshire Birmingham Bury Division Calderdale Camden Carmarthenshire City of York Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Croydon Dudley Enfield Gateshead Haringey Havering Islington Knowsley Lancashire Northumberland Nottingham City Nottinghamshire Oldham Rochdale Sefton Shropshire South Gloucestershire South Tyneside Southampton Stockport Tameside Vale of Glamorgan Walsall Warwickshire Wigan Wiltshire Wirral Wolverhampton Brighton and Hove These areas have confirmed they will pay the union pay scales. This is just a sample and there are many others who will be paying more than East Sussex schools. Average East Sussex House Price £337,887 Average South Tyneside House Price £129,843

The Cost to Schools The union has requested and received figures from East Sussex that show how much implementing the full pay rise will cost schools. On average it will be just £1700 per school per year including all on costs (pension, NI etc) This will generally be lower for Primary Schools and higher for Secondary Schools.

What can we do? We are very concerned this sets a very bad precedent if allowed to go unchallenged. We recognise the 1% uplift on the Upper Pay Scale is of course insufficient but this will have to be tackled nationally. The union nationally is beginning a campaign for a 5% uplift for all teachers next year. However we could face problems again at a local level on agreement of any future uplift and any uplift that was applied would be to the already lower amounts on the main pay scale.

What can we do? Approach your Head Teacher to let them know members views. Many heads are supportive and if so ask them to write to East Sussex to let them know they wish to pay the agreed scales. If they are not supportive ask them to inform the union of how much the cost will be to the school. We are entitled to this information, it is often a lot less than heads expect.

What can we do? The appalling anti-union laws make it very difficult for us to look at action across the local authority. However we are asking members in school to see if they would be prepared to undertake an indicative ballot for strike action over the pay policy. This will enable us to gauge support for such action and to use it as a level to get the county to change position. The indicative ballot would need to be followed by a formal ballot if we were to call action. Any strike action in a school would see members paid full strike pay. We will also be working on press and publicity to highlight the situation.

Get in touch with the Local Association or Division Secretary to set up a date for a consultative ballot if you believe members in your school would back taking part.