TEACHERS' PAY RISE - UCAC'S RESPONSE

June 2025 

At its meeting on Friday, June 13^th UCAC’s National Council expressed its disappointment with the Welsh Government’s proposal of a 4% pay rise for teachers.

Although the pay rise appears, at first glance, to be a considerable increase, however, it does compare favourably with the salaries of other professions and does not keep pace with inflation rates over the recent years.  The teaching profession is facing a recruitment and retention crisis, and it must be acknowledged that in order to attract and retain teachers, salaries must be competitive and appealing, reflecting the increasing demands on the workforce. The National Council felt strongly that teachers’ onerous workload along with pupils’ increasingly challenging behaviour need to be addressed urgently.   Recruitment and retention issues will only be resolved when teachers’ working conditions and pay are fair and honourable and when the workforce is accorded the respect it deserves.

Not only is UCAC disappointed with the report’s content, but it is also displeased with the delay in its publication and its failure to match IWPRB’s recommendation of a 4.8% salary increase.  The late announcement means that the workforce will not receive a pay rise until well into the Autumn Term. There is also concern and disappointment that the report has not yet been published in Welsh and UCAC laments the fact that the Welsh language is being treated less favourably than English.