Edinburgh teachers told they won't get their pay rise on time

TEACHERS in Edinburgh have been left "angry and frustrated" after being told they will not receive their pay rise and backdated salary this month because of an IT problem.
Teachers have not been told when they will now received their riseTeachers have not been told when they will now received their rise
Teachers have not been told when they will now received their rise

Around 5000 staff are affected, most understood to be due four-figure sums.

The city council blamed a technical issue with the external IT provider for its payroll system.

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The EIS teachers' union said it was demanding to know when the cash would be paid.

Alison MurphyAlison Murphy
Alison Murphy

Teachers across Scotland voted in March to accept a pay deal which works out at a 13 per cent rise over three years. If followed protracted negotiations and threats of strike action.

But yesterday staff received an email from Alistair Gaw, the council's executive director of communities and families telling them the payment had been delayed.

He wrote: "I advised previously that you’d receive your back-dated pay increase for 2018/19 on May 30, together with your uplift for 2019/20. This applies to all teachers, educational psychologists, music instructors, education support officers and quality improvement officers."Unfortunately, due to a technical issue with our external IT provider for the Council’s payroll system, you won’t receive any backdated money or an uplift to your salary in May."I understand the disappointment and frustration this will cause. Please be assured that HR are doing all they can to resolve this and are actively working with our supplier to find a solution."

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Edinburgh EIS secretary Alison Murphy said the national agreement was for councils to pay the first increase and backdated amounts in May or June.

She said: "Edinburgh was one of the earliest to say it would pay in May and it seemed fairly unequivocal. To suddenly hear we are not going to get paid in May after all is incredibly disappointing. It's a classic case of over promising and under delivering.

"People are extremely angry. A lot of people have made plans assuming they would have received this money."

Ms Murphy said the union was no in talks with the council over the situation.

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"One of the first questions is exactly when it is going to be paid.

"The council is saying the problem is an external IT provider. It seems to be yet another example of Edinburgh putting all its faith in external private companies who then do not deliver on what was promised."

A council spokeswoman apologised to the staff affected and said work was continuing to resolve the issue as soon as possible. She said: “The council fully shares the frustration, disappointment and undoubted anger this has caused many of our staff and consider this to be an unacceptable position for both them and the council to have been placed in. We would like to apologise to everyone affected and provide reassurance that council officers are continuing to work very hard with the system supplier to develop the necessary technical solution."

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