Soulbury pay claim: 2009 Aspect say: ‘Pay must rise’
Pay for staff covered by the Soulbury agreement must rise significantly, Aspect has told the employers. The Soulbury Committee officers side, which includes representatives from the Association of Professionals in Education and Children’s Trusts, the AEP, NACEO and NUT submitted a comprehensive pay claim in May. The claim points out that the 2007 Soulbury pay agreement was below the rate of inflation as measured by the Retail Prices Index. “That represented a pay cut in real terms” said Aspect, “That real term pay cut should not be further exacerbated by further below-inflation pay increase in 2008.” Calling for a further 12 months pay settlement the unions said any agreement lasting longer than 12 months would have to include robust safeguards against inflation eroding agreed increases in pay.
London allowances Calling for a significant increase in London allowances the unions said that Soulbury London allowances are well below those paid elsewhere in the public and voluntary sector and by many private sector employers.
Aspect general secretary John Chowcat said: “Our principal focus is to improve the relative pay position of Soulbury officers compared to the groups from which they are generally recruited. “The pay of senior members of the teaching profession, notably leadership group staff, has risen faster than Soulbury pay. The average pay gap between senior Soulbury advisors and Group 5 head teachers is around £16,587 and increased over the last year. The average pay gap between principal advisors and group 7 head teachers has increased over the last twelve months to around £21,613.”