NEU members in the Liverpool village of Sefton have accused the local council of refusing to pay teachers the wages owed to them as a result of a payroll error.

The administrative mistake, which it says was made between April 2018 and March 2020 and affected additional hours, has left teachers collectively out of pocket by hundreds of thousands of pounds, the union says.

Archie Devey, branch and district secretary of Sefton NEU, said: “It is completely unacceptable that dedicated teachers are still waiting to receive money they earned years ago. 

“This is not a matter of interpretation or negotiation — it is a clear administrative failure by Sefton Council, and our members deserve immediate redress.

“The council’s inaction undermines trust, damages morale and sets a worrying precedent for how local authorities value the people who educate our children.”

Sefton NEU is calling for the council to urgently meet and commit to a transparent repayment process. 

A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “The Council is committed to resolving this issue for our teachers and continues to work with Sefton NEU to deliver a repayment process for those directly impacted.”