School leaders’ union NAHT has welcomed an announcement by the country’s largest multi academy trust (MAT) that it will not implement a controversial proposal to give teachers the chance to opt-out of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) this September.

The plan by the United Learning MAT would have meant teachers who opted out instead enrolling in the trust’s proposed alternative defined contribution scheme, under which pension contributions would be reduced in exchange for a higher salary.

It was opposed by NAHT and other education unions, and although the government put the brakes on ULT’s move to implement the scheme in April, the trust had vowed to press ahead with its plans.

In May, NAHT, along with fellow unions, lodged a joint collective dispute with ULT.

And yesterday, at a meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee meeting between the unions and ULT, it confirmed that it would not be rolling out the proposal in September.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “We have opposed this divisive plan from the beginning and are pleased that common sense has prevailed.

“A good employer should not be asking dedicated teachers to give up part of their pension to make up for a shortfall in their salary.

“While 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.

“These 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’s contributions.

“We hope we have now seen the back of these ill-conceived plans, but stand ready to fight against them again in future should they ever re-emerge.”