London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jan 15, 2025

More teacher strikes in England look inevitable, union leaders say

More teacher strikes in England look inevitable, union leaders say

NEU joint secretary says teachers will ‘not back down’ as pay negotiations with government reach stalemate
Schools in England look set for further disruption over the coming weeks after talks to avert planned strike action by teachers ended in failure, with no new offer on the table.

Union leaders met the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, on Wednesday morning, the latest of a series of meetings. Though they remarked on a new urgency about the talks, there was still no progress on pay.

As things stand, further strike action by members of the National Education Union (NEU) planned for later this month and into March looks inevitable, one leader said. There are also warnings of a potential escalation, with other unions now considering next steps.

More talks are expected to follow, and the NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said his members would not back down.

“Nothing in this meeting gave us anything we could work with to justify suspending the next day of regional strikes on the 28 February,” he said. “Gillian Keegan and the government need to be aware that teachers will not back down on this. Decades of an education system being run into the ground and below-inflation pay increases over the past decade have left the profession utterly demoralised.”

After the teachers’ strike on 1 February which closed thousands of schools, NEU members in the north of England, Yorkshire and Humber are due to go on strike on 28 February, followed by a day of action in the Midlands and east of England on 1 March, and one in London, the south-east and south-west on 2 March. Another two days of action on 15 and 16 March will involve all eligible NEU members in England and Wales.

“We cannot go on like this,” said Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, whose members have voted in favour of a formal ballot on industrial action. “While the tone of today’s talks signalled a greater sense of urgency on the part of the government, we have to report that once again there is no new offer to improve the inadequate pay settlement which has sparked the ongoing dispute.

“Unless there is tangible progress towards an improved offer, the prospect of further strike action by NEU members is inevitable, and will lead to members of our union, and other education unions, also concluding that industrial action is the only option left. We have held off from that step and tried to resolve the dispute through negotiation. However, there is a limit to how many times we can come out of a meeting with the education secretary without progress being made.”

Barton said the Welsh and Scottish governments had made improved offers. “Those offers might not be perfect and won’t satisfy everyone. But they are a great deal better than anything managed by the government in Westminster, which has put nothing on the table so far despite having far more resources at its disposal,” he said.

NEU members in Wales had been due to strike on Tuesday but their action was suspended to consider the Welsh government’s new offer of an additional 1.5% pay rise plus 1.5% as a one-off payment, which they rejected. The strike will now go ahead on 2 March.

Scotland’s biggest education union, the EIS, is considering a revised offer including a 6% pay rise in the current year and a further 5.5% in the new financial year, which starts in April. The next national strike is due to be held on 28 February and 1 March.

NEU members are striking in pursuit of an above-inflation pay rise funded by the government rather than out of existing school budgets. The government announced last summer that most teachers would receive a pay rise of about 5%, with starting salaries up by 8.9%.

A Department for Education spokesperson described the talks as constructive, adding: “The education secretary instructed officials to hold further detailed talks with unions and committed to more talks ahead of planned strike action.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
S.E.C. Sues Elon Musk Over Alleged Twitter-Related Securities Violations
France Urges EU to Act on Musk's Political Influence as Tensions Rise
Former Special Forces Blast Defense Ministry for Revealing Sensitive Details
Celebrity Responses to California Wildfires: Charity, Criticism, and Controversy
The Wildfires of Los Angeles: A Devastating Impact on Celebrities and California's Leadership
Tragic Loss: Teenager's Death Sparks Community Reflection in Bedford and London
UK Government Proposes Cap on Resale Ticket Prices to Combat Touts
Greenland's Future Caught in Diplomatic Crossfire Between Trump and Europe
EU Prepared to Lead Support for Ukraine Amid US Uncertainty, Says Estonian Prime Minister
Brompton E-Bike Component Diverted to UK Military Drone Production, Causes Delays
Romanian Gang Convicted of Human Trafficking and Exploitation in Dundee
Persistent Cold Snap Grips the UK: Severe Frost and Snow Disrupt Daily Life
Germany Faces Alarming Rise in Homelessness, New Report Shows
China’s Appetite for Salmon: A Game Changer in Global Seafood Markets
Russian Bots Allegedly Amplified NATO Critic Prior to Croatian Election, Researchers Reveal
Armenia Considers EU Membership Referendum Amid Strained Ties with Russia
French Finance Minister Explores Pension Reform Compromise to Secure Budget Agreement
Armenia Considers EU Referendum Amid Growing Rift with Russia
New Wildfire Ignites in Los Angeles as Region Battles Devastating Blazes
The Espionage Unraveled: A Russian Spy Network's Intricacies in the UK
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Bid to Delay Sentencing in Hush Money Case
UK Financial Markets Remain Calm Amid Rising Government Borrowing Costs
Stellantis Achieves UK Electric Vehicle Sales Mandate Amid Factory Closure
TikTok Faces Potential Ban in the United States Amid Security Concerns
Pound Plummets to 14-Month Low Amid Concerns Over UK Borrowing Costs
Tensions Rise Over Planned Pro-Palestinian March in London
Bomb Scare in Central London: Abandoned Car Sparks Panic Near Regent Street
Police Seek Suspect in Antisemitic Incident at Liverpool Street Station
Regulatory Reprimand for London Charity Over Fundraising for Israeli Soldier
The Duchess of Sussex Mourns Devastating Loss of Beloved Rescue Dog
From Chairman to Controversial Politician: Rupert Lowe's Journeys in Business and Politics
Metropolitan Police Halts Pro-Palestine March Near BBC Due to Proximity to Synagogue
Inside Warwick Hospital: A Glimpse into the NHS's Battle Against Winter Pressures
Chappell Roan: A Synth-Pop Sensation Emerges as BBC Sound Of 2025 Winner
Search Intensifies for Missing Aberdeen Sisters Eliza and Henrietta Huszti
Pioneering Drug Consumption Room Opens in Glasgow
Ryanair Initiates Legal Action Against Disruptive Passenger in Landmark Case
Former Brexit Negotiator Oliver Robbins Appointed Top Civil Servant at UK Foreign Office
British Hiker Found Deceased Amidst Dolomites Search: Investigation Underway
Pound Falls as UK Borrowing Costs Reach Financial Crisis Levels
Italian Journalist Cecilia Sala Released from Iranian Detention
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Faces Allegations of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Sister
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Denies Sister's Allegations of Sexual Abuse
UK Markets Under Pressure as Gilt Yields Surge
Arrest Made in Connection to Stabbing of Iranian Journalist in London
Arrest Made in Fatal Drive-By Shooting Outside London Church
Parliamentary Suspension Over Racist Remarks Highlights Tensions in UK Politics
Debate Intensifies Over Call for Child Abuse Inquiry Amidst Musk's Comments
Mark Zuckerberg's U-Turn: Moving Toward Free Speech on Facebook and Instagram, For a Change
Britain's authorities' support for pedophiles has gone insane
×