NASUWT Members Vote For Industrial Action

Thursday, 2 March 2023 13:10

Guernsey members of the teaching union vote in favour of industrial action over pay and workload.

The NASUWT union says 57% of local members took part in the ballot.

Of those, 76% voted for strike action while 87% voted for action short of a strike.

Dr Patrick Roach, who's the NASUWT General Secretary, says if the States won't negotiate over pay, it will draw up a timetable for action:

“The States should be in no doubt of the resolve of NASUWT members, and need to lift their collective heads from the sand and sit down with us so that we can collectively look to solve the problems facing the profession in Guernsey.

“If such a commitment is not forthcoming from the States, then we will have no option but to move to industrial action.”

Speaking when the ballot was announced, Policy and Resources, as employer, said the pay offer was above inflation and the Industrial Disputes Officer should be used to resolve the issue.

The union says the vote is unprecedented in Guernsey, and that teacher's pay has reduced in real terms over a period of 15 years.

It says pay has fallen behind median earnings, civil service pay and the pay of teachers in Jersey.