CIRCULAR

Circular No.04-070/SALS

Date:21 April 2004

To Secretaries of Divisions and Local Associations – FOR ACTION

Dear Colleague

Teachers’ Pay: Early Day Motion

As part of its campaign against the Government’s multi-year pay imposition on teachers, the NUT has secured the support of a number of Members of Parliament for an Early Day Motion tabled by Gerry Steinberg MP.

The Early Day Motion expresses concern at the Government’s proposed changes to teachers’ pay levels and the pay structure and reflects the NUT’s objections to these proposals. Divisions and associations are therefore asked to write to local MPs to register their opposition to the proposed changes and invite their support for the Early Day Motion. The National Union itself will be writing to MPs seeking support for the Motion

The full text of the motion is as follows:

Early Day Motion 938: Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Primary Sponsor: Gerry Steinberg

“That this House is concerned that there are continuing and significant recruitment and retention problems in schools and that the absence of competitive salaries for a graduate profession, and of proper professional development opportunities for serving teachers, are major contributing factors; and believes that the Government's proposals, which remove the top two tiers of the upper pay scale, severely limit further salary progression for classroom teachers and freeze the value of management allowances will be seen by many teachers and headteachers as breaking promises and serving only to further demotivate the teaching profession.”

The Education (School Teachers' Pay and Conditions) Order 2004 which gives effect to the changes to pay levels and structure scheduled for 1 April 2004 was

/Contd…

Circular No.04-070/E&EO21 April 2004

laid before the House of Commons on 10th March and came into effect on 1 April 2004. The option of seeking support for a formal “prayer” against the draft regulations was not pursued by the Union on this occasion since it would not have secured a debate but would undoubtedly led to Government accusations that the NUT was seeking to delay pay increases for teachers.

The NUT has resolved, therefore, to raise awareness of the issues amongst MPs and seek to secure their support by means of the Early Day Motion. This can then be built on in the NUT’s continuing campaign to secure competitive levels of pay for all teachers and to oppose the proposals to extend PRP/payment by results and truncate the upper pay scale.

The progress of the Early Day Motion and the list of signatories can be monitored at the following link:

Yours sincerely

DOUG McAVOYSTEVE SINNOTT

General SecretaryDeputy General Secretary

BARRY FAWCETT

Assistant Secretary

Salaries, Superannuation, Conditions of

Service and Health and Safety