BELOW INFLATION PAY AWARD

- The Government has announced a below-inflation pay increase for teachers for September 2008 onwards. The main features are as follows:

- From September 2008 - an increase of 2.45% on the Main and Upper pay scales

- From September 2009 and September 2010 - further increases of 2.3% on these pay scales
- Pay for leadership teachers and ASTs, SEN allowances and TLR payments will increase as above - but safeguarded MAs stay frozen

- The above increases compare to the current RPI inflation rate of 4.0%. It has been argued by some, however, that the increase in pay is better than expected and is better than some others have received.

Teachers’ pay was also increased by less than inflation in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Teachers’ pay levels cannot buy the same level of goods and services as they could three years ago.

All teachers’ pay scales have been affected. For example, for teachers outside London, inflation has cut the value of starting pay for NQTs in September 2008 by £1,000 and teachers on UPS3 have seen the value of their pay reduced in real terms by £1,700. In addition, since 2005, 30,000 responsibility payments have disappeared due to the introduction of TLRs. For thousands of teachers house purchase is out of reach.

The NUT stands ready to take action to protect the living standards of teachers and their families.