England鈥檚 biggest academy trust has backtracked on controversial plans to let teachers opt into a less generous pension scheme to boost their pay from this September, unions have claimed. The National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) told聽Schools Week聽that the United Learning Trust has decided against implementing the proposals as planned in September. The plans have also reportedly been opposed by education secretary Bridget Phillipson. The 92-school MAT planned to use academy freedoms to offer its staff an alternative to the teachers鈥 pension scheme (TPS) – using savings from employer contributions to hike their take-home pay instead. But the NAHT said the trust confirmed at a meeting yesterday 鈥渢hat it would not be rolling out the proposal in September鈥. It’s not yet clear if the plans have just been put on hold, or axed altogether. ULT did not respond to our requests for comment. But general secretary Paul Whiteman said he hopes to have 鈥渟een the back of these ill-conceived plans鈥, but vowed to 鈥渇ight鈥 them again if they re-emerge. ‘Dangerous pension proposals’ 鈥淲hile we understand that teachers are not immune from cost-of-living pressures, what is needed [is] sustained government action to restore the attractiveness of teaching, including restoring real-terms pay to 2010 levels,鈥 the union leader said. Paul Whiteman 鈥淭hese dangerous proposals would have undermined efforts to work with the government to do that, impacted sector-wide terms and conditions, and potentially destabilised the TPS, which is reliant on everyone鈥檚 contributions.鈥 The change came after unions 鈥渓odged a joint collective dispute with ULT鈥 over the scheme in May. Reports in March also suggested the Department for Education had told the chain that it opposed the move, which is a first for state schools. The governent had requested the trust put forward a business case for the changes. Supported by 1 in 6 teachers At the time Sir Jon Coles, the trust鈥檚 CEO, stressed he was 鈥渃onfident in our legal position鈥 and that he planned 鈥渢o go ahead with the scheme, despite threats from government officials鈥. Sir Jon Coles He also accused unions of 鈥渘ot representing their members鈥 for opposing the scheme, citing the results of an internal survey showing 鈥渟ome 25 per cent of staff鈥 had 鈥渆xpressed interest鈥 in it. An Education Policy Institute study earlier this year also found one in six teachers would prioritise an immediate pay increase over a higher pension. Rebalancing public sector pensions to offer more pay upfront has also been floated by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. But Whiteman added: 鈥淲e have opposed this divisive plan from the beginning and are pleased that common sense has prevailed. 鈥淎 good employer should not be asking dedicated teachers to give up part of their pension to make up for a shortfall in their salary.鈥 Vow to ‘fight’ revived plans Schools Week revealed last year ULT was planning to offer its teachers the choice of an alternative pension scheme from 2025, alongside the TPS. Currently, teachers have to pay between 7.4 and 11.7 per cent in contributions, with employers stumping up 28.6 per cent of the worker鈥檚 salary. Under the plan, teachers who wanted to opt out of the TPS would be able to contribute either 0, 5 or 10 per cent of their salary in a new defined contribution scheme. The trust would contribute at least 10 or 20 per cent. The money saved by United Learning on employer contributions would go towards bumping up pay for teachers on the alternative scheme. This would mean starting salaries rising across its schools outside London from 拢32,850 to almost 拢38,000, and from 拢39,000 in inner London to 拢45,000. Pepe Di鈥橧asio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e pleased this plan will not now be going ahead. The teachers鈥 pension scheme is a really good benefit of a career in teaching and something we need to cherish and protect 鈥 particularly in the circumstances of a recruitment and retention crisis. “Our fear was that the proposed trade-off between pay and pension would ultimately undermine the teachers鈥 pension scheme. We need to work together 鈥 across all schools and colleges 鈥 for improved pay and conditions for our superb teachers.鈥