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The ongoing pay dispute between the States of Guernsey and Guernsey and Alderney's teachers will hopefully be settled today with a Tribunal getting underway at the Peninsula Hotel.
Ahead of the hearing, current and former teachers along with were seen arriving while the Tribunal Panel was setting up in the hotel's function room prior to the 09:30 start time.
A second day has been set aside for the hearing - tomorrow - but Express has been told that it's hoped a decision will be reached today which will draw a line under the long running dispute.
The pay offer at the heart of the dispute included a 5% uplift to salaries for 2022, plus a sum of £500 which would be consolidated into pay scales and become permanent and pensionable (backdated to 1 January 2022 with the applicable RPIX of 2.3%). It also offered an uplift equal to RPIX as at 30 June 2022, which was 7%, for 2023, and an uplift equal to RPIX as at 30 June 2023, minus 1% for 2024. In the event that RPIX falls below 1% this year then teachers would be given a pay award of zero to avoid a pay cut.
Pictured: NASWUT members were not happy with the pay offer made last year.
The States Policy and Resources Committee is the lead on all employment matters for States-employed people. Deputy David Mahoney is the lead P&R member on employee matters.
Teaching unions, including the NASUWT, the NEU, NAHT, ASCL, and UCU all failed to reach an agreement with P&R over their pay, leading to today's Tribunal.
The dispute was referred to a Tribunal by Stephen Naftel, the Industrial Disputes Officer for Guernsey. He is at the hearing today.
Pictured: Deputy David Mahoney (inset) is the lead politician on Policy and Resources for employment matters including pay.
Today's Tribunal is being chaired by Roy Lewis, with Nicolla Tanguy and Jamie Roussel as lay members. One represents the employer and one represents the employee in situations like this.
Teachers are represented at the hearing by the Negotiating Committee for Teachers and Lecturers in Guernsey (NCTLG). That is comprised of representatives of other unions. The teachers are also represented by two lawyers from Collas Crill.
The States are represented by Deputy Mahoney, along with civil servants of the Policy and Resources Committee and Education, Sport and Culture, including Nick Hynes, the Director of Education. A lawyer from St James' Chambers is also on the States side today.
The Tribunal seeks to set a binding award to all States employed teaching staff across Guernsey and Alderney.
A decision is expected to be announced tomorrow morning.
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