Supplementary evidence to the IWPRB

Summary: 

1. NEU Cymru have received copies of evidence submitted to the IWPRB by ASCL, NASUWT, UCAC, NAHT, WLGA and Welsh Government.
2. The tight timescales in which we have been required to provide supplementary evidence are far from ideal and necessarily dictate that this response has not had the opportunity to provide detailed comment. We are therefore focusing on the most salient points only.
3. We note the publication of the strategic review and the Cabinet Secretary’s acceptance of the recommendations in principle. We note there is a separate process for considering the review, through the Pay Partnership Forum. We therefore have declined to comment on the content of the report here. We also note the late publication of this review with disappointment and are concerned with the Cabinet Secretary’s approach of accepting the recommendations in principle without consulting the unions first. 
4. NEU Cymru recently carried out a preliminary ballot of teacher members in Wales, in which the majority voted and 9/10 (88%) said they would vote for strike action to support a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise. 
5. Public sector workers make up a significant proportion of all workers and their spending is essential to the private sector. As the UK’s dismal and below trend growth rates since 2010 have shown, pay cuts for workers and tax cuts for the rich are a recipe for economic failure. 
6. Investing in pay is essential not only to fairly reward public sector workers for the essential work they do, but to address major recruitment and retention problems. Inadequate existing funding levels are the problem and solutions will not be found without properly funding and repairing our public services including education. 
7. We believe that the IWPRB now has the opportunity to make the right recommendation to the Welsh Government – for a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise for teachers in Wales.