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Teachers: Pay rise? What pay rise?

NUT members on strike on 10 July 2014, photo Paul Mattsson   (Click to enlarge)

As a teacher I have just been awarded the 1% pay increase which all teachers are potentially eligible to receive. At 1%, I wasn't expecting a huge increase but an extra £20 or £30 a month might pay for a night out or some other luxury.

When I opened my payslip this month, imagine my surprise when I found I was actually £6 a month worse off! When I compared my current payslip with last month's more closely, I found that my pension contribution had been increased beyond my pay rise. This is a case of giving with one hand and taking with the other - the teachers' pension scheme is centrally run by government!

Since this government's austerity measures started four years ago, the average teacher is 12% worse off. Or to put it another way we are now working a month for free. This is yet another reason for NUT members to vote for strike action in the current ballot.

Mick Whale, secretary Hull NUT

In this issue

Socialist Party news and analysis

We need ideas to change the world

NHS - The black hole

UK - A tax haven for the super-rich

Them & Us

International socialist news and analysis

South Africa: "A workers' party must emerge"

Middle East: Repel IS and Western imperialism

Coordinated attacks on Hong Kong movement

Ebola crisis: Consequence of profit before health

Stop corporate plunder of Bangladesh energy

Socialist Party workplace news

We can beat the pay freeze!

Public sector: why we have to strike

RMT tube workers join October action

Teachers: Pay rise? What pay rise?

Support Care UK day of action

Sheffield: Green workers red with anger

M25 maintenance workers protest

Socialist Party reports and campaigns

Training tomorrow's trade union militants

Finance to fight for the future

School students organise disabled rights meeting

Ice cream, you scream, we all scream for £10 now!

Readers' comments

Exhaustion from buzzer to buzzer

Bedroom Tax: Still making tenants' lives hell

Scotland: Workers need a new mass party

Correction: Labour's private health links are worse!

Thatcher's enemies within

Obituary

Andrew Price: Fighter, teacher, party campaigner

Home   |   The Socialist 8 October 2014   |   Join the Socialist Party

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Related links:

Teachers:

Teachers demand fighting union strategy

Teachers: On the front line, in their own words

Determined strikers at Leaways school

Welsh schools close for safety after union pressure

East London teachers strike in support of victimised union rep

Pay:

Norwich City Council workers vote for strike action over broken promises on pay and conditions

Thurrock refuse workers strike escalates

National Education Union needs a socialist, fighting deputy general secretary

RMT: Militant industrial and political strategy must be fought for

NUT:

Martin Powell-Davies for NEU DGS: "We need to use our collective strength"

100 years since the foundation of the Communist Party of Great Britain

Money doesn't make up for cuts - education unions must organise for funding and against Tory attacks

Government:

Bobby Sands - Nothing but an Unfinished Song

Stop Israeli state brutality