Teachers in Jersey 'could take pay action'

Teachers in Jersey are meeting to discuss whether to take action over their pay freeze.

Earlier this year the States told all public sector workers they would not get a pay increase in 2009.

Anne Southern, president of the Jersey Teachers Association said many members were angry about a ban on pay negotiations and wanted a 2% increase.

She said the most likely action for them to take would be to stop doing some of their duties.

The government has saved more than £6m pounds by freezing States employees' pay this year. That money has been put into the States' reserves.

Ms Southern said Tuesday's meeting would help the association, which is the local branch of the National Union of Teachers, find out how unhappy teachers were with the wage freeze.

"I think some teachers are feeling very angry and feeling that unless they make a stand now we can just forget about maintaining our level of pay and working conditions in the future," she said.

She said a strike may be discussed, but thought the most favoured option, and the first level of action, would be the withdrawal of lunch duties.

"It's something teachers could do without damaging children's education," she said.

"Teachers give an awful lot, they can be pushed a long way, but we want to see whether breaking point has been arrived at." (frpm ICfeed)