“We fundamentally disagree with the Welsh government’s decision to consult on a pay award which is less than the recommendation of the independent pay review body.
“The pay review body clearly states that its recommendation is underpinned by the need to ensure that the teaching profession in Wales is promoted and rewarded to encourage recruitment and retention of high-quality practitioners.
“Instead, the Welsh government has decided that it cannot afford to deliver on that objective and has ignored the recommendation.
“What is the point of having a pay review body if its evidence-based recommendations are not followed?
“We do welcome the Welsh government’s commitment to provide the funding for its proposed pay award of 3.5% and we encourage local authorities to ensure that this funding is passed on directly to schools in full.
“We also welcome the commitment to ensure school leaders’ holiday periods and weekends are protected as a vital step in managing unsustainable workloads.
“But we will be pressing the Welsh government to commit to the funding that is necessary to deliver the pay review body’s recommendation of 4.25%.
“It is essential that we are able to recruit and retain the teachers we need to deliver a great education to our children and young people.”