Over 52% teachers are facing another pay cut in Portsmouth this year, despite government pledges to end the public sector pay cap, and the Prime Minister’s claim that “austerity is over”.
Education Secretary, Damian Hinds MP, rejected the recommendation of the independent pay review that all teachers be awarded a rise, deciding that those on the ‘upper’ pay scale would receive a 2% pay rise and those on the ‘leadership’ scale would receive just 1.5%.
With inflation forecast to run at over 2.5% this financial year, all of the teachers on those pay scales will see their wages rise by less than inflation, meaning another real-terms pay cut.
Across Portsmouth there are over 800 teachers on the upper pay range and leadership pay range, accounting for 57% of all teachers in the country and meaning that over half teachers will face another cut to their pay this year.
Hinds had previous promised to be “champion” for head teachers.
The government has also now admitted that it will not keep its promise to fully fund even the limited pay rise for all schools, leaving some with a shortfall once they have paid staff salaries.
Commenting, Stephen Morgan, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South said:
“The Prime Minister told us that austerity was over and promised she would end the pay cuts for public servants, but it is becoming clearer by the day that this doesn’t apply to our schools and teachers.
In stark contrast to their words, the government’s own figures show that a quarter of a million teachers – nearly half the entire workforce – are now facing another real terms cut to their pay this year.
To make it even worse, Ministers have now admitted that they won’t even fund the pay settlement for all schools, so some will be left short-changed simply for paying their teachers the government’s own rate.
It is now clear that far from just needing “little extras” as the Chancellor claimed, schools aren’t even being funded for the very basics.
My Portsmouth Against School cuts is bringing parents, governors and teachers together against Tory cuts to city schools. I will continue to lobby for investment in our schools, including ring-fenced funding to give teachers the pay rise they deserve.”
