| Q1. | Does the comment in section 2 of the document about ‘sufficient teaching posts for all probationers' mean that Probationers finishing is 2011 are guaranteed a job? |
| A. | NO they are not. The comment in Section 2 refers to the number of jobs which would become available. The Cabinet Secretary assures us that the jobs would be open to all registered teachers and subject to competitive interview using normal procedures. Appointments are, of course, under the control of the education authority. |
| Q2 | Does the change from lifetime conservation affect PTs or Deputes conserved as a result of amalgamation? |
| A. | COSLA intends that this change will apply to all teachers employed by local authorities and in receipt of lifetime conservation. Where conservation results from an amalgamation and redundancy could have applied members may be able to take legal action. This would have to be tested at law and we have no definitive answer at present. Legal advice is being sought on your behalf. Head teachers in this position should, in the first instance, contact the SSTA for advice. |
| Q3 | Would the 5 years of cash conservation apply to a teacher currently conserved? |
| A. | Any teacher appointed before April 2001, whose salary would be reduced before 31 March 2013, will be entitled to cash conservation until 31 March 2016. Any teacher whose salary is reduced from 1 April 2013 would be entitled to cash conservation for 3 years from the date of the reduction. |
| Q4. | What is cash conservation? |
| A. | A teacher in receipt of ‘cash conservation' retains the higher salary for a period of time (normally 3 years) but does not receive any pay increases until the salary for the post reaches the level of the conserved salary, or the period of conservation ends. At the end of the stipulated period the teacher's salary reverts to the national scale point for the post. |
| Q5. | Does the move to 40 days annual leave mean I would lose holiday pay? Would my holiday entitlement be reduced? |
| A. | This is an attempt by COSLA to reduce the amount of holiday entitlement women accrue during maternity leave. They have divided the leave year into 2 sections, contractual leave and school closure. Permanent employees would continue to be paid in the usual way and at the same rate. Salary would continue during school closure days. There would be an effect on supply staff whose daily rate would be higher but who would be paid for fewer holidays. |
| Q6. | Would teachers still be paid during school closure? |
| A. | Teachers who have permanent contracts would be paid as they are currently. There would be no changes to frequency of payment or the amount as a result of this element of the proposal. |
| Q7. | What would a teacher on point 6 of the pay-scale be paid for doing supply? |
| A. | For supply cover of up to 8 days all teachers would be paid for 5.5 hrs per day at scale-point 1. A complete working week is 35 hours, 7 hours per day. From day 9 a supply teacher would be paid at their normal scale-point. |
| Q8. | How would the changes to sick pay affect me? |
| A. | Every day of sick leave would be paid at 90% of your normal salary. The normal rules about length of entitlement would continue to apply. The maximum payment would therefore be 26 weeks at 90% of full salary followed by 26 weeks at 45% of full salary. |
