Teachers in England Reject Pay Offer, Announce Two Further Walkouts

In England, teachers have overwhelmingly rejected a pay offer from the British government, according to their trade union, the National Education Union (NEU). The offer was aimed at ending a series of disruptive strikes, but 98% of teachers who voted in the ballot followed the NEU’s advice to reject the offer. The proposal included a one-off payment of £1,000 this year and an average pay rise of 4.5% in the next financial year. The NEU has announced two further days of walkouts, scheduled for April 27 and May 2.

Tens of thousands of teachers across Britain have taken strike action this year demanding an above-inflation pay award. This has left classrooms empty and put pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to help resolve the dispute. The government has argued that higher pay rises would only worsen inflation. Education Minister Gillian Keegan has said that pay will now be decided by the independent pay review body, which will recommend pay rises for next year.

Meanwhile, teachers in Wales have ended their strike action after voting to accept a pay offer comprising an additional 3% pay award for 2022/23 alongside a 1.5% one-off payment, and a government-funded 5% rise for the following year. Scotland’s largest teaching union has also accepted a pay deal to end long-running strikes, which it said would amount to a 14.6% increase in pay for most teachers by January 2024.