The National Union of Teachers is calling for a new salary structure which will enable all classroom teachers to earn up to Pounds 31,000 for professional development linked to nationally agreed targets.
The union’s executive will make its recommendation to members attending a special salaries conference on September 26.
The proposed structure would give teachers Pounds 23,000 after five years’ service and then extra for achieving competencies in classroom teaching or other skills. The proposal will be presented to the Government as part of its consultation on a Green Paper on the modernisation of the profession.
The proposal also rejects a direct link between pay and appraisal and performance- related pay based on results.
Doug McAvoy, general secretary, said: “Under the existing structure more than two-thirds of the profession have no prospect of earning more than Pounds 23,000. There is no encouragement for teachers to develop and extend their competencies and, in many cases, taking on additional responsibilities does not lead to any additional pay.”
