Thousands of teachers are discovering that having crossed the threshold, their movement through the upper pay scale will be blocked. Performance related pay, payment by results is shown to be a sham.

The Government has accepted the Review Body's recommendation that when teachers move schools they should take with them their points on the upper pay scale. The NUT has argued for this throughout.

The Government has rejected, however, the Review Body's recommendation that the Government should provide sufficient additional funds to enable teachers whose performance meets the criteria, to move up the upper pay scale.

Estelle Morris argues that schools should already have enough money to fund such progress beyond the threshold. But then qualifies this by suggesting schools should use money for this purpose only 'if they judge that this is their priority'.

The New Barrier

For most teachers, the threshold payment will be their final salary progression. The much publicised Government promise that teachers will progress to a salary level of £31,000 outside London is exposed as a con.

Warning

The STRB is alert to the consequences of this rationing. It warns the Secretary of State that:

"Without such additional funding, performance management, and the pay structure itself, would be fundamentally undermined with the inevitable adverse effects for teacher recruitment, retention, motivation and morale." (School Teachers' Review Body, 11th Report 2002)

She has ignored the warning. Her attitude will cause division and create inequalities.

A Cruel Deception

Thousands of teachers will have crossed the threshold anticipating further movement up the new scales to significantly higher levels of salary. They are the victims of a cruel deception.

Challenged

The NUT alone has challenged the Secretary of State and urged her to provide the additional money necessary to include in the teachers' contract the entitlement to salary progression for every teacher who meets the criteria.

The NUT's Fair Deal Charter

• The NUT will be asking every headteacher to sign up to a Fair Deal Charter guaranteeing that all teachers who meet the necessary criteria will progress on the upper pay scale.
• The NUT will be asking all LEAs whether they have provided each school with sufficient funds to guarantee progress on the upper pay scale for all teachers who meet the criteria.
• All NUT members who have crossed the threshold should request guidance from their headteacher on 'salary progression'.

General Secretary, Doug McAvoy, said:

"I urge Estelle Morris to accept the NUT's proposals. If she does not, she will have failed to honour the promises of the Government. Salary progression must not depend on the priorities of a headteacher. Performance Related Pay cannot be fair if there is no guarantee that reward will follow achievement."