At the Wales TUC Conference 2021, a motion was passed from NASUWT Cymru recognising that supply teachers have been among the most detrimentally affected of education workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The motion called for lobbying on several issues related to the employment of supply teachers, including the reintroduction of local authority pooled supply and access to better terms and conditions.

Following this, the General Secretary of Wales TUC has written to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language about supply teachers' terms and conditions.

The details of the letter can be found on the right/below and the motion is reproduced below.

Motion 6 to Wales TUC Congress 2021: Supply teachers during the pandemic

Congress recognises that Supply Teachers were amongst the most detrimentally affected of education workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congress condemns those Supply Agencies that did not furlough Supply Teachers during the lockdown.

Congress condemns Local Authorities who did not follow Welsh Local Government Association guidance to reinstate Supply Teachers on their original terms and did not pay ad hoc Supply Teachers for the work that they missed during the lockdown Congress condemns school employers who failed to utilise ‘catch up’ funding to employ Supply Teachers to help children who were falling behind in their education.

Congress calls on the General Council to:

• lobby the Welsh Government to introduce a financial support package to support Supply Teachers during the COVID-19

• pandemic.

• call upon the Welsh Government to strengthen the National Procurement Framework so that only Supply Agencies that have high employment standards are supported by schools in Wales.

• lobby the Welsh Government to reintroduce Local Authority pooled supply and access to better terms and conditions.