In response to an announcement by Education Minister, Kirsty Williams AM on 22 October about school teachers’ pay award for 2019-20, UCAC education union has warned that the pay rise must not come at the cost of further cuts to school budgets.

Dilwyn Roberts-Young, UCAC General Secretary said:

“Although we called for an across-the-board pay rise of 5%, UCAC acknowledges that the 2.75% pay award moves us in the direction of restoring the value of teachers’ salaries.

“We also welcome the fact that the Education Minister went beyond the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body’s initial recommendation of 2.4%.

“The £12.8m that Welsh Government is providing to Local Authorities will only be contribution towards funding the pay award, and we are concerned that it will leave schools even further out of pocket at a time when funding is already at dangerously low levels. We simply cannot allow schools to take further cuts.

“We now urge all concerned to make progress on restoring the pay-scales and considering conditions of service, as well as pay, in the next round of the Review Body’s work.”