Teachers: Pay rise? What pay rise?

NUT members on strike on 10 July 2014, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)

As a teacher I have just been awarded the 1% pay increase which all teachers are potentially eligible to receive. At 1%, I wasn't expecting a huge increase but an extra Ł20 or Ł30 a month might pay for a night out or some other luxury.

When I opened my payslip this month, imagine my surprise when I found I was actually Ł6 a month worse off! When I compared my current payslip with last month's more closely, I found that my pension contribution had been increased beyond my pay rise. This is a case of giving with one hand and taking with the other - the teachers' pension scheme is centrally run by government!

Since this government's austerity measures started four years ago, the average teacher is 12% worse off. Or to put it another way we are now working a month for free. This is yet another reason for NUT members to vote for strike action in the current ballot.

Mick Whale, secretary Hull NUT

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