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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Teachers given pay rise of 2.45% | Teachers given pay rise of 2.45% |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Teachers in England and Wales will get pay rises above the 2% set by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. | Teachers in England and Wales will get pay rises above the 2% set by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. |
| The three-year pay deal will mean increases of 2.45% in September 2008 and 2.3% in each of the following two years, says Schools Secretary Ed Balls. | The three-year pay deal will mean increases of 2.45% in September 2008 and 2.3% in each of the following two years, says Schools Secretary Ed Balls. |
| Pay rises were expected to be pegged to 2%, in line with the government's policy on public sector pay deals. | Pay rises were expected to be pegged to 2%, in line with the government's policy on public sector pay deals. |
| Teachers' unions were divided in their responses - with both approval and warnings that the rise was inadequate. | |
| Head teachers' leader, John Dunford, said he was surprised and delighted by the higher than expected rise. | Head teachers' leader, John Dunford, said he was surprised and delighted by the higher than expected rise. |
| Chris Keates, general secretary of the Nasuwt teachers' union, said: "Compared with other public sector workers, clearly we have fared well." | Chris Keates, general secretary of the Nasuwt teachers' union, said: "Compared with other public sector workers, clearly we have fared well." |
| But she said the union would hold an opinion poll "to gauge whether teachers feel that the level of this award is going to be sufficient". | But she said the union would hold an opinion poll "to gauge whether teachers feel that the level of this award is going to be sufficient". |
| 'Affordable' | 'Affordable' |
| The National Union of Teachers remained unimpressed by the increase - warning that its executive would meet next week to plan a "robust response". | |
| "This settlement is in effect a pay cut," said general secretary Steve Sinnott. | |
| The Association of Teachers and Lecturers acknowledged that the award was higher than for other public-sector staff, but cautioned that it still failed to match inflation. | |
| The salary increases, recommended by the independent pay body, the School Teachers' Review Body, have been accepted by Mr Balls. | The salary increases, recommended by the independent pay body, the School Teachers' Review Body, have been accepted by Mr Balls. |
| Describing teachers as the "backbone of our education system", Mr Balls said that the pay award was "fair and affordable for schools". | Describing teachers as the "backbone of our education system", Mr Balls said that the pay award was "fair and affordable for schools". |
| "Today's pay award will enable teachers and schools to plan ahead with a greater degree of security and certainty and at the same time will help deliver stability for the taxpayer and the wider economy," said Mr Balls. | "Today's pay award will enable teachers and schools to plan ahead with a greater degree of security and certainty and at the same time will help deliver stability for the taxpayer and the wider economy," said Mr Balls. |
| This pay award was being watched as an indicator of public sector settlements - and Mr Balls said that the deal was "consistent with the achievement of the CPI inflation target of 2%". | This pay award was being watched as an indicator of public sector settlements - and Mr Balls said that the deal was "consistent with the achievement of the CPI inflation target of 2%". |
| Mr Balls said the pay rise, which will also see a £25,000 minimum starting salary in inner London, was "value for money for taxpayers" and reflected the labour market. | Mr Balls said the pay rise, which will also see a £25,000 minimum starting salary in inner London, was "value for money for taxpayers" and reflected the labour market. |
| In the upper pay scale for teachers in inner London, the value of the rise will be 3.45%. | In the upper pay scale for teachers in inner London, the value of the rise will be 3.45%. |
| The pay award comes against a background of threatened industrial unrest among teachers. The National Union of Teachers had already voted to prepare for a one-day strike in the event of a 2% offer. | The pay award comes against a background of threatened industrial unrest among teachers. The National Union of Teachers had already voted to prepare for a one-day strike in the event of a 2% offer. |
| The government measures inflation by the consumer price index, which was running at 2.1% in November. | The government measures inflation by the consumer price index, which was running at 2.1% in November. |
| But unions prefer another measure of inflation, the retail price index, which includes costs such as rent and mortgages - in November the retail index was running at 4.3%. | But unions prefer another measure of inflation, the retail price index, which includes costs such as rent and mortgages - in November the retail index was running at 4.3%. |
| Union pressure | Union pressure |
| The announcement marks the first of a new round of multi-year pay settlements which the government is trying to agree with public sector workers in a bid to keep inflation down and help departments plan their budgets more effectively. | The announcement marks the first of a new round of multi-year pay settlements which the government is trying to agree with public sector workers in a bid to keep inflation down and help departments plan their budgets more effectively. |
| The government is coming under increasing pressure from unions in other sectors over its 2% ceiling. | The government is coming under increasing pressure from unions in other sectors over its 2% ceiling. |
| In December, police officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were awarded a 2.5% pay rise but the Police Federation claims it was effectively only a 1.9% rise because the home secretary refused to backdate it to September. | In December, police officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were awarded a 2.5% pay rise but the Police Federation claims it was effectively only a 1.9% rise because the home secretary refused to backdate it to September. |
| The Scottish Government did agree to backdate the rise to September, as recommended by the Police Arbitration Tribunal. | The Scottish Government did agree to backdate the rise to September, as recommended by the Police Arbitration Tribunal. |
| The row has prompted the Police Federation to say it will ballot members in 2008 on whether they want the right to strike, as they are currently banned from doing so. | The row has prompted the Police Federation to say it will ballot members in 2008 on whether they want the right to strike, as they are currently banned from doing so. |
| Nurses are also being restricted to a 1.9% rise. | Nurses are also being restricted to a 1.9% rise. |