Gwent teacher on strike ballot and cost of living pressures

Hannah O'Neill, who works at a school in Blaenau Gwent, said teachers were "really feeling the pressure at the moment" and struggling to maintain support for their pupils who are most in need. Meanwhile, rising costs have pushed teachers' finances to their limits, causing morale to plummet.

Her comments come as two teaching unions open ballots on potential strike action in Wales' schools, over what they say have been a decade of real-terms pay cuts.

The Welsh Government has offered a five per cent pay rise and says UK Government budgeting has meant "less funding for public services in Wales".

For Ms O'Neill, who is a member of the NEU union, financial constraints on teachers are also having a direct effect on their students.

"Like many teachers, I like to buy things for my class - a few biscuits and pens - to help support the children each week," she told the Argus. "Children rarely come to school with the correct equipment and it's noticeable that my learners are coming to school hungrier.

"Buying resources is difficult now, the costs have increased, the price of fuel is so expensive. I have to get to work, I know of colleagues which are struggling getting to work five days a week.

"And I know the costs are rising for the school too, with everything. Heating in the winter is going to be a huge bill. It makes you very worried."

Ms O'Neill said current morale among teachers is "low" and absence was "on the increase because of general sickness and Covid".

Hannah O'Neill says teachers deserve a better deal. (Image: via NEU)

"Teachers are really feeling the pressure at the moment," she said. "The workload is impossible to manage, with the new curriculum, changes to ALN (additional learning needs) and supporting young people who have been through really difficult times - there are just not enough hours in day.

"It's also very concerning that the Welsh Government is now talking about reforming the school day."

She added: "People are tired. More and more is expected of us. We want to be excited about the new curriculum, but you end up doing more in your own time."

Strike action a possibility in Wales

Two unions - the NEU and NASUWT - have today (Friday) opened ballots on teachers taking industrial action.

They argue the Welsh Government's current five per cent offer is actually a pay cut, when recent inflation is taken into account.

"Teachers and support staff have had enough," said David Evans, Wales secretary of the NEU (National Education Union) Cymru.

"They have been undervalued for too long, and this is biting ever deeper as we enter a difficult winter. But the argument for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise stretches back more than a decade. It has simply become unsustainable to continue any longer.

"Teachers have lost around 20 per cent of their salary in real terms since 2010. Support staff have lost around 27 per cent in the same period.

"The latest suggested pay rise of five per cent, is some seven per cent behind inflation. Any increase in pay so far has been wiped out by inflation. This cannot go on. Many, sadly, choose to leave the profession and the Welsh Government's own figures show 29 per cent of those leaving teaching are in their first five years. This is surely a poor investment in training and talent here in Wales.

"Strike action is always a last resort, but it is evident from our preliminary ballot that there is a powerful movement to reverse a decade of declining pay. We are of course willing to meet the Welsh Government and employers to find a solution."

Neil Butler, a national official for NASUWT in Wales, said: “It is outrageous that we are seeing teachers’ living standards falling at a time when the country should be investing more in securing children’s education recovery after the pandemic.

“It is unacceptable that teachers are being forced to work longer and harder than ever-but are being rewarded less and less in real terms.

“We have been more than patient with the education minister and have given him ample opportunity to work with us to address pay levels. However time is now up and we have been left with no other choice than to ballot members for action.

“If the minister wants to avoid potential disruption in our schools he needs to come forward with swift plans to address the erosion of teachers’ pay and provide teachers with a pay uplift that will help them cope with the current cost of living crisis.”

What does the Welsh Government say?

“We believe hard-working public sector workers should receive a fair wage. We know they are disappointed this year’s pay awards fall short of inflation," a spokesperson for the Welsh Government said. "However, we cannot fund such rises without a substantial increase to our budget.

“Our budget is worth up to £4bn less over the three years of our current settlement, meaning less funding for public services in Wales. And we are facing the prospect of further cuts to come because of the impact of the UK Government’s reckless mini-budget, which has created a black hole in UK public finances.

“The agreed annual process for teacher pay is ongoing and we hope all parties will continue to actively engage as it develops.”