Jersey's government has been branded 'nasty and cowardly' by opposition politicians after it wrote to teachers saying the pay offer would automatically be applied.

The ‘private and confidential’ letter to all teachers says that those who accept the offer will be 'unable' to take part any industrial action relating to pay until at least 2027.

Those who don't want to accept the offer are told to email the government. By doing so, they will remain on 2023 pay. 

Reform Jersey leader Deputy Sam Mezec says holding a 'database' of teacher's voting record is 'authoritarian' and 'undemocratic'.

This is an absolutely disgraceful and authoritarian attack on the rights of government employees to take part in secret ballots on industrial relations.

Collecting a database of who voted which way in vote is totally undemocratic. What on earth are they thinking? https://t.co/55SoYXkYI2

— Deputy Sam Mézec (@SamMezecJsy) January 12, 2024

Vice Chair of the States Employment Board, Deputy Elaine Millar claims that it is needed to 'ascertain' who has accepted the offer.

"As we do not hold information about whether any teacher is a member of the NASUWT or NEU (or of both unions) or is not a member of a Union, we are in the position of needing to write to all Teachers to ascertain who has accepted the Offer.

With the NASUWT ballot being in favour of implementing the Offer, we propose that the Offer will be applied to those employees who are in acceptance."

The current offer on the table is an 8% consolidated pay uplift in 2024, along with a one-off non-consolidated payment of £1,000.

Teachers who accept the offer will also get inflation-linked increases, or 2% (whichever is greater), in 2025 and 2026.

Deputy Millar says teachers who decide to accept but then take part in future industrial action will have the uplift 'removed'.

"If you do not state that you wish to reject the Offer but then later decide to participate in industrial action in respect of pay (i.e., in respect of the period to the end of 2026), your salary would be adjusted accordingly (i.e., with the uplift removed).

Any later rejection will mean that the £1,000 will be reclaimed from salary."

A nasty & cowardly approach from Gov. Sent last thing on a Friday & designed to divide. A disgraceful approach to industrial relations.
Straight out of the anti Union playbook. Destroys principle of secret ballot. I call on vice chair SEB to withdraw this letter immediately. https://t.co/l8kPa01E9J

— 🌈Deputy Rob Ward (Reform Jersey)🌈 (@deputyrobward) January 12, 2024

The NASUWT union narrowly voted to accept the offer, while the Nation Education Union is still in dispute.