Commenting after the passing of motion 13 at NEU Annual Conference, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“Teaching and Learning Responsibility payments (TLRs) are an essential part of the teacher pay system. TLR payments reward additional leadership and management responsibilities undertaken by classroom teachers. If teachers didn’t take on additional responsibilities, schools would flounder.
“Yet despite their importance, teachers in receipt of TLRs have seen their value cut significantly in real terms and many do not receive appropriate TLR payments for the responsibilities involved. Many teachers, especially in primary schools, do not receive any TLR payment despite undertaking significant additional responsibilities.
“The NEU and the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document make it clear that staff cannot be held accountable for subject areas they do not receive TLR payments for. Teachers, including those on the Upper Pay Range, should not be required to undertake additional responsibilities without appropriate TLRs.
“Expecting teachers to work for free is not acceptable. We need to move to a fair, transparent national pay structure with fully funded and appropriate mandatory payments for additional responsibilities.”