London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Sunak warns of strike damage to kids after teachers reject ‘insulting’ pay offer

Sunak warns of strike damage to kids after teachers reject ‘insulting’ pay offer

Fresh strikes set to take place on April 27 and May 2 after union rejects ‘insulting’ pay offer
Rishi Sunak said the new wave of teachers’ strikes would be “enormously damaging” to children, insisting the pay offer rejected by the NEU on Monday was “very reasonable”.

Teachers are set to walk out on April 27 and May 2 after 98 per cent of National Education Union members rejected the offer it described as “insulting”.

But the Prime Minister told broadcasters he was “extremely disappointed with the actions of the NEU teaching union”, adding that the union had been offered a new pay deal “worth about 8 per cent on average”.

He said: “In spite of all of that…the NEU has rejected that and announced new strike dates which will be enormously damaging to our children, whose education has already suffered in the face of Covid.”

But Mr Sunak refused to say if a £1000 one off payment for teachers would now be withdrawn following the NEU rejection, saying only: “We have made a very reasonable pay offer.”

More than 191,000 teachers in England had voted against Education Secretary Gillian Keegan’s offer, the NEU announced at its annual conference in Harrogate today. Delegates broke into chants of “come on Gill, pay the bill”.

Most teachers in England have had a five per cent pay rise this year.

The Government had proposed an additional one-off £1,000 payment and an average 4.5 per cent rise for most staff in the next school year.

It had also pledged to create a taskforce to help reduce teacher workload. Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said: “We have today written to the Education Secretary informing her of the next two days of strike action on April 27 and May 2 that NEU teacher members in England will now be taking.”

The action will be a blow for children who have already had their education disrupted by a total of seven days of strikes by NEU members this year, including four days in London schools.

Dr Bousted and Mr Courtney said the union would work to ensure pupils in Years 11 and 13 — crucial exam years — have a “full programme of education” on strike days.

Downing Street said it was “extremely disappointed” with the NEU’s decision to back more strikes, saying it would add to the disruption children have faced in school over the past few years.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “With a week of classroom time already lost and exams fast approaching it is extremely disappointing the NEU have called for more strike action. That decision will also result in less money for teachers this year with the independent pay review body looking at pay for next year only whereas with the government’s deal they could have had an extra £1000 in their pay packet.

“We continue to call on the NEU given the level of disruption children have already seen in recent years to their education to not take strike action. We have put forward a funded pay offer which we think is fair and proportionate. The NEU membership have voted against it …now it falls to the pay review body process in setting pay for next year.”

Asked if the Government would return with a revised offer, the spokesman added that there were “no plans to do that”. He said: “We remain open to further discussions but we felt this was a fair and reasonable offer.”

Ms Keegan described the ballot result as “extremely disappointing” and said the Government had negotiated “in good faith”.

Dr Bousted and Mr Courtney told conference delegates that the offer showed an “astounding lack of judgment and understanding of the desperate situation in the education system”.

They said: “No teacher wants to be on strike. Nor can they accept this offer that does nothing to address the decades of below inflation pay increases making them the worst paid teachers in the UK.

“The offer will do nothing to stem the teacher recruitment and retention crisis which is so damaging to our children and young people’s education. The Education Secretary has united the profession in its outrage at this insulting pay offer.”

In a message to parents, they also said the union did not want to disrupt education, adding: “Our action is aimed at getting the Government to invest in the education of this generation of children and the people who teach them.”

Responding to the announcement, the Education Secretary said: “After costing children almost a week of time in the classroom and with exams fast approaching, it is extremely disappointing that the NEU have called more strike action.

“Following a week negotiating in good faith, the Government offered teachers a £1,000 payment on top of this year’s pay rise, a commitment to significantly cut workload, and a headline pay increase of 4.5 per cent for next year — above both inflation and average earnings growth.

The offer was funded, including major new investment of over half a billion pounds, in addition to the record funding already planned for school budgets.

“Pay will now be decided by the independent pay review body which will recommend pay rises for next year.”

It comes as Louise Atkinson, the president of the NEU, today told members that she had organised her first strike at the age of nine. She said: “I encouraged the girls in my class to refuse to go back in after lunch, instead sitting on the goal line in protest at the fact that we were not allowed to play football.”

Ms Atkinson also attacked Ofsted, saying that the schools watchdog was the “driver for so much that is wrong in our schools and colleges”.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
Close
0:00
0:00
Drone Attack on Moscow's Wealthiest Neighborhoods Suspected to be Launched by Ukraine
You Are So Beautiful
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Hold Power Talks with President Biden in Washington
Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version
AI ‘extinction’ should be same priority as nuclear war – experts
An old French tune (by Georges Brassens) Pomplamoose ft. John Schroeder
Elon Musk Meets Chinese Finance Minister in Beijing
Sattahip Motor Show 20
Prominent Hacker Forum RaidForums Suffers Substantial Data Breach
SONATE AU CLAIR DE LUNE - Moonlight sonata
Climate cultists thought they had sabotaged another beautiful event — then the cameraman had his revenge.
A kiss to build a dream on
Nvidia CEO Huang says firms, individuals without AI expertise will be left behind
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
WPP Revolutionizes Advertising with NVIDIA's AI Powerhouse
Mean Blues
Two US Employees Fired For Chasing Robbers Out Of Store As They Broke ''Company Policy''
La Chansonnette
Pfizer, the EU, and disappearing ink - Smoke, Mirrors, and the Billion-Dose Pfizer Vaccine Deal: EU's 'Open Secret
Pattaya Addicts
Actor Tom Hanks told Harvard University graduates to be superheroes in their defense of truth and American ideals, and to resist those who twist the truth for their own gain
Franz Liszt - Liebestraum - Love Dream
The Sussexes' Royal Rebound: Could Harry and Meghan Markle Return to the UK?
Dream a little dream of me
A provocative study suggests: Left-Wing Extremism and its Unsettling Connection to Psychopathy and Narcissism
Unchained Melody sung like you've NEVER heard!
France Arrests 10 on Suspicion of Failing to Respond in Time to Migrant Drowning
Dave Brubeck - Take Five
Neuralink Receives FDA Approval for First-in-Human Clinical Study
Édith Piaf - Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (Sofie)
Ukrainian Intelligence Official Admits to Assassination Attempts on Putin
Rondo Alla Turca
WATCH THIS: democracy in Russia is so bad!
Kiss of fire
Ed Davey: It is possible for a woman to have a penis
Tom Jones - I´ll Never Fall In Love Again 1967, 1989, 2001
Bernard Arnault Loses $11.2 Billion in One Day as Investors Fear Slowdown in US Growth Will Reduce Demand for Luxury Products
Israel Cachao López - Guajira Clásica
Russian’s Wagner Group leader: “I am not a chef, I am a butcher. Russia is in danger of a revolution like in 1917.”
Edward Maya - Stereo Love (feat. Vika Jigulina) (Extended Mix)
TikTok Sues Montana Over Law Banning the App
Strauss - Radetzky March - Karajan
Ron DeSantis Jumps Into 2024 Presidential Race, Setting Up Showdown With Trump
La vie en rose
Steve Jobs introducing Apple's iPhone, exactly 16 years ago.
The Temptations - My Girl (Smokey Robinson Tribute) 2006 Kennedy Cent
Banking Behemoth vs Ex-Boss: The PMorgan-Epstein Entanglement
Orlando Cachaito Lopez Redencion
China overtakes Japan as world's top car exporter
Edith Piaf - NON, JE NE REGRETTE RIEN
Banking Behemoth vs Ex-Boss: The PMorgan-Epstein Entanglement
RADETZKY MARCH-2008-Wien, New Year Concert
Elon Musk's SpaceX and Italy's Unipol join forces to help Italians hit by flooding
Only you (And you alone)
Talks between US House Republicans and President Biden's Democratic administration on raising the federal government's $31.4tn debt ceiling have paused
Strangers In The Night
Biden Administration Eyeing High-Profile Visits to China: The Biden Administration is heating things up by looking into setting up a series of top-level visits to Beijing by top officials in the coming months
Charles Aznavour - La Boheme
New evidence in special counsel probe may undercut Trump’s claim documents he took were automatically declassified
Summer time
A French court of appeals confirmed former President Nicolas Sarkozy's three-year jail term for corruption and influence peddling
Sting and Stevie Wonder - Fragile (from Sting's 60th birthday concert)
Debt Ceiling Crises Have Unleashed Political Chaos
Aux Champs Elysees
Weibao Wang, a former software engineer at Apple, was charged with stealing trade secrets related to autonomous systems, including self-driving cars
Stand By Me - Ben E. King (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Mobile phone giant Vodafone to cut 11,000 jobs globally over three years as new boss says its performance not good enough
La Mer (Beyond the Sea) – Avalon Jazz Band
Elon Musk compares George Soros to Magneto, the supervillain from the Marvel Comics series.
She
Warren Buffett Sells TSMC Shares Over Concerns About Taiwan's Stability
Nathalie Song by Enzo Petrachi Stjepan Hauser Cello
New Study Finds That Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia Is a Major Cause of Death in COVID-19 Patients Who Require Ventilator Assistance
Shape of My Heart - Sting (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Vienna: Passenger Plays Hitler Speeches on Train, Causes Panic
Radiohead - Creep
Remarkable video from our Fox drone team
Quizás,Quizás,Quizás - Andrea Bocelli - Jennifer Lopez
The official tapes of Trump's deposition in the E. Jean Carroll battery (rape) and defamation case have been released.
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Multi-Couples
Here is the full video that the media are purposely not sharing
Pentatonix Havana
King Charles III being crowned.
Paula Cole - Autumn Leaves
Newly released video of Donald Trump’s rape trial deposition:
Oscar Benton Bensonhurst Blues
Video: Ukraine MP Punches Russian Representative At Global Meet
OH NANANA vs ABUSADAMENTE
Russia accused Ukraine of attacking the Kremlin with drones in an attempt to kill Putin
Nina Simone - ”I Put A Spell On You”. Vezi aici cum cântă Jeremy Ragsd
Ahead of King Charles’ coronation, British guards rehearse in the middle of the night in London
NIGHTWISH - The Phantom Of The Opera
Dutch court orders man who fathered 550 kids to stop donating sperm
Motorshow 2016 Tanjay Negros Oriental
Kim Kardashian Lookalike Christina Ashten Dies Of Cardiac Arrest, Hours After Plastic Surgery
Monica Bellucci - Ti Amo
Samsung has banned employees from using generative AI services such as ChatGPT
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean Milena The Voice France 2018
'Godfather Of AI' Geoffrey Hinton Quits Google To Warn Of The Tech's Dangers
Michael Buble (Help Me Make It Through The Night) feat Loren Allred
Memories Canon In D - Maroon 5 (Boyce Avenue piano acoustic cover)
Matteo Simoni - Marina
Maroon 5 - One More Night
Maroon 5 - Memories
Mark Knopfler - Brothers In Arms (Berlin 2007 Live)
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Romeo And Juliet (Real Live Roadrunni
Marina, Marina - The LUCKY DUCKIES intimist live concert at Guimarães
Major Lazer & DJ Snake – Lean On Mauranne The Voice France 2016
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet - Joslin - Henri Mancini, Nino Rota
LoLa & Hauser - Love Story
Linkin Park Jay-Z - Numb Encore (Live 8 2005)
Hallelujah Mennel Ibtissem, The Voice France Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love
Leonard Cohen & Natasha Rostova - Dance me to the end of love
La casa de papel - Bella Ciao
La Camisa Negra
L'italiano (Toto Cutugno) - The Gypsy Queens
Juanes - La Camisa Negra
Jonathan and Charlotte - Britain's Got Talent 2012 Live Semi Final - U
John Powell - Assassin's Tango
Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On (LIVE in Dortmund)
Joe Cocker - Unchain My Heart 2002 Live
Joe Cocker - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Jay Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind LIVE
Jason Mraz - Im Yours (live)
Jarrod Radnich - Bohemian Rhapsody - Virtuosic Piano Solo
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
James Blunt - You're Beautiful & Bonfire Heart (Live at The Nobel Peac)
If You Go Away - Helen Merrill & Stan Getz (Tribute to Virna Lisi)
I'LL BE MISSING YOU
I Say a Little Prayer
Hotel California ( Eagles ) 1994 Live
Historia de un amor - Luz Casal. Vezi interpretarea Biancăi Sumanariu
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover) on Spot
Heart - Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin - Kennedy Center Honors
HAVANA by Camila Cabello Zumba Pre Cooldown TML Crew Kramer Pastra
HAUSER and Señorita - I Will Always Love You
HAUSER - Waka Waka
HAUSER - Sway
HAUSER - Lambada
HAUSER - Historia de un Amor
HAUSER - Despacito
Great Pretender
Georgia May Foote & Giovanni Pernice Samba to 'Volare' - Strictly Come
Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues
GIPSY KINGS VOLARE Penelope Cruz
Fugees - Killing Me Softly With His Song
French Latino - Historia de un Amor
For A Few Dollars More The Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Live)
Flashdance • What a Feeling • Irene Cara
Filip Rudan - “Someone You Loved” Audicija 4 The Voice Hrvatska Sez
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight
Enya - Only Time
Enrique Iglesias - Bailando (English Version) ft. Sean Paul
Enrique Iglesias - Bailamos
Elena Yerevan Historia de un amor
Ed Sheeran - Shape of You (Official Music Video)
Ed Sheeran - Perfect Symphony [with Andrea Bocelli]
Ed Sheeran - Perfect (Official Music Video)
Easy On Me - Adele (Boyce Avenue 90’s style piano acoustic cover) on S
ERA - Ameno
ELENA YEREVAN- Cancion Del Mariachi-IN STUDIO-2017 DPR
Dust In The Wind - Kansas (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Despacito x Shape Of You - Pentatonix
Deep Purple - Child In Time - Live (1970)
David Foster When A Man Loves A WomanIt's A Mans World (SealMichael Bo
Dance me to the end of Love ( Pi-Air Design )
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) [Official Music Video]
Conquest Of Paradise (Vangelis), played on Böhm Emporio organ
Cielito Lindo
Chico & The Gypsies - Bamboleo
Canción Del Mariachi - Antonio Banderas, Los Lobos • Desperado
Camila Cabello - Havana (Audio) ft. Young Thug
Camila Cabello - Havana ( cover by J.Fla )
California Dreamin' - The Mamas & The Papas José Feliciano (Boyce Ave
Buster Benton - Money Is The Name of The Game
Hallelujah Pentatonix
Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy (Official Music Video)
Bob Dylan - Knockin' On Heaven's Door Emilia The Voice Kids France
Besame Mucho - Cesaria Evora
Ben E. King - Stand by Me Sax Cover Alexandra Ilieva Thomann
Bella Ciao
Bella Ciao - INSTRUMENTAL
Beautiful in White x Canon in D (Piano Cover by Riyandi Kusuma)
Bad Romance - Vintage 1920's Gatsby Style Lady Gaga Cover ft. Ariana Savalas & Sarah Reich(1)
BELLA CIAO 2020 - KARAOKE ITALIANO
BAMBOLEO - Gipsy Kings • Antonio Banderas, Katya Virshilas
BAILANDO (original)
Awesome Ukrainian yodeler - SOFIA SHKIDCHENKO (with English subtitles)
Avicii - The Nights
Atom - The Great Gig in the Sky
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Official Ly
Antonio Banderas - Cancion del Mariachi (Desperado)
André Rieu - Zorba's Dance (Sirtaki)
André Rieu - Can't Help Falling In Love
André Rieu & Mirusia - Ave Maria
Andrew Reyes Elton John - Don't Let The Sun Go Down The Voice 2020 (
Andreas Kümmert Whiter Shade Of Pale The Voice of Germany 2013 Showd
And I Love You So
All About That Bass - Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version
Alan Walker - Faded (Piano Cover)
Ain't No Sunshine -- Bill Withers (cover by Canen 12 y.o.)
African music
Adriana Vidović - “Creep” Audicija 4 The Voice Hrvatska Sezona 3
Adriana Vidović - “Believer” Nokaut 3 The Voice Hrvatska Sezona 3
A Fistful of Dollars - The Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Tuva
4 Beautiful Soundtracks Relaxing Piano [10min]
2CELLOS - Whole Lotta Love vs. Beethoven 5th Symphony [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
2CELLOS - Smooth Criminal (Live at Suntory Hall, Tokyo)
2CELLOS - Smells Like Teen Spirit [Live at Sydney Opera House]
2CELLOS - Despacito [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
13 Year Old Girl Playing Il Silenzio (The Silence) - André Rieu
094.All About That Bass
00 - SADNESS PART 1
(Ghost) Riders In the Sky (American Outlaws Live at Nassau Coliseum, 1
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams (Boyce Avenue ft. Conn
What a wonderful world
Moon river
×