Hundreds of private school teachers at the UK’s largest academy chain are set to strike because its state school teachers could receive more than triple their pay rise.
United Learning, which runs 90 state academies and 14 independent schools, says it cannot afford to pay them any more than 2 to 3% extra despite a 6.5% pay award for their state school counterparts.
But the National Education Union says United Learning already pays them less than its state school teachers and has accused them of treating them like ‘second class teachers’.
Teachers at United’s independent schools were told before Christmas in a move branded ‘Scrooge-like’ that no more than 2 to 3% was on the table for them.
Meanwhile state school colleagues at the same trust, who are already paid between £35,000 and £51,000 a year, will be getting 6.5% – above the 5.5% agreed for the state sector by the Department for Education.
Defending the decision, a trust spokesman told the Mail on Sunday that private school teachers should be ‘well aware of the financial challenges facing the sector at the moment’.
Now staff are planning a walkout saying the trust is blaming its meagre pay offer on the Government’s VAT raid on school fees while sitting on huge funds of its own.
The trust has told parents it will absorb some of the new 20% tax and only charge them 12% extra on fees across its private schools from this month, meaning it will seek to slash costs elsewhere.
Hundreds of private school teachers at United Learning, the UK’s largest academy chain, are set to strike as the trust’s state school teachers could receive over triple their pay rise (file pic)
United Learning’s independent schools include the prestigious Royal School in Haslemere, which boasts Princess Anne as its president
But its latest accounts show it is sitting on net assets of £717 million. Meanwhile its Chief Executive Sir Jon Coles was recently found to be in the ‘super league’ of highly paid academy trust chiefs, earning over £250,000 a year.
One teacher raged: ‘We received a real ‘Bah Humbug ‘letter right before Christmas telling us that there was no more money in the pot to make us a better offer.
‘At the same time, they’ve absorbed some of the VAT on fees increase, but what have they done with that cost?
‘United Learning say they are a not for profit but that’s questionable when they are sitting on valuable pension funds and their Chief Executive is being paid over £250,000.’
Another fuming staff member said they ‘would be better off driving a tube train’ than working for United Learning and ‘it is impossible to keep up with the cost of living based on our salaries’, adding:
‘Academy chains have to pay the government increase to state school teachers but we have no set increase. You simply can’t treat staff the way United Learning do.’
Furious teachers complained to their unions demanding action after receiving the letter.
An initial survey of members found more than 89% rejected the pay offer, said Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the NEU.
The National Education Union says United Learning’s private school teachers are treated as ‘second class’ and are paid less than its state school teachers. Pictured: State school teachers have protested over pay in recent years
He added: ‘This offer is off the back of a history of salaries below that of local state schools and colleagues working for the same employer in academies.
‘Teachers working in United Learning independent schools are not second-class teachers, so should not be given second-class pay.
‘The NEU have opened an indicative ballot of members following the survey of members which rejected the employer offer.’
Strike action is expected to follow at the end of the month.
United Learning’s independent schools include the prestigious Royal School in Haslemere, which boasts Princess Anne as its president.
A spokesperson for United Learning said: ‘We do not expect there to be strike action in our independent schools.
‘We believe that staff in our schools are well aware of the financial challenges facing the sector at the moment and understand that there is no more money for a further pay rise at the present time.’