NAHT Cymru comments on below inflation pay award for Welsh Teachers

Yesterday, the Welsh Government announced a pay award for teachers of 1.75% for 2021.

Laura Doel, director of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru said: “While we welcome the additional money, it does little to counteract the years of below inflation pay rises, amounting to pay lost in real terms since 2010. At 1.75 per cent, not only is it below inflation, but it effectively amounts to a pay freeze. The latest Treasury average inflation forecasts for the fourth quarter of 2021 shows RPI at 4.3%.

“This additional money will not help solve teacher supply problems, which could get much worse alongside the severe workload and wellbeing issues, which our recent survey of school leaders highlighted.

“We urge the Welsh government to reflect on the impact of continuing the long freeze on teachers’ pay and how it will hit the living standards of our members hard, damaging morale and further reducing the ability of the profession to recruit and retain teachers and aspiring school leaders.”

“Finally, we called for a fully funded pay rise as that does not come out of school budgets. Local authorities are already struggling with Covid costs and this burden cannot be passed on to schools.”