Bid For £2m For Teachers' Pay Rejected

A bid for an extra £2 million pounds for teachers' salaries, to settle the ongoing pay row, has failed.

32 States Members rejected Reform Deputy Catherine Curtis' suggestion of diverting money from the government's Cabinet Office to Education.

She had told the Assembly she couldn't see the current situation improving without it:

"This has been going on for such a long time.  I really think there will be no progress. If we are going to be responsible, we need to act on this now and not leave it to the States Employment Board."

But the Education Minister, Deputy Inna Gardiner, said the extra money was not the answer to settling the long-running dispute.

"The (teachers') demand (is) for 15.4% last year or 17.6% this year... this is the demand.  £2m will not sort out this demand.  It is not enough,  It is maybe something that will put a plaster (over it) and we would have more strikes going forward."

The final vote was 13 in favour, 32 against.

The decision comes as teachers in the NEU enter the final day of a three-day walkout which has forced most schools in Jersey to close.

The NASUWT has been surveying its members on the latest three year pay offer from the SEB.  That closes today with a decision on whether to accept it expected to follow.