London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

Teachers one step closer to going on strike in Great Britain

Teachers one step closer to going on strike in Great Britain

Teachers are one step closer to going on strike in Britain after rejecting a 5% pay rise offer.

The largest union for England and Wales, the NEU, said 86% of its members who responded to an initial ballot said they were willing to strike. It is now launching a formal strike ballot.

The NASUWT union has also begun one for members in Scotland, England and Wales.

Both have previously said the government's offer does not address the cost-of-living pressures on teachers.

The last national dispute over teachers' pay was in 2008.

Education is one of many sectors grappling with action over pay. Railway workers and Royal Mail staff are among those walking out.

The starting salary for teachers in England is due to rise to £30,000 a year by September 2023, as part of a promise that was made during the 2019 election which became delayed by the pandemic.

The pay of more experienced teachers in England - who make up most of the workforce - has seen the biggest squeeze over the past decade, falling by 8% in real terms between 2007 and 2021, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The pay rises in England have to be paid for out of schools' existing budgets, leading some to warn BBC News they were axing school trips and music lessons to try to avoid having to cut staff.


'Regrettable'


The NEU said it would announce a timetable for a formal ballot and potential strike dates in the coming week.

It said the results of a preliminary online ballot of its members in England and Wales showed support for a formal ballot, with 98% of respondents saying they wanted a "fully funded, above-inflation pay rise", and 86% saying they would vote yes to strike action to demand the rise.

Joint general secretaries Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney said the results were "a clear statement from teachers that they cannot go on like this".

"Our members don't want to strike - they want to be in the classroom, doing what they do best, educating the nation's children," they said.

"It is regrettable that we have reached this point, but enough is enough."

The Department for Education said it was "incredibly disappointing" that some unions are threatening strike action, saying it would "damage children's education and disrupt parents' lives".

"The highest pay awards for teachers in a generation" have been confirmed with 8.9% for new teachers and 5% for experienced teachers, it said, adding that the average salary for teachers in November 2021 was £42,360.

Members of NASUWT in England, Scotland and Wales will receive ballot papers from 27 October, and voting will close on 9 January.

The union, which wants a fully-funded real-terms pay award of 12%, said it was recommending that members vote in favour of industrial action.

Members of Scotland's largest teaching union, the EIS, are also being balloted for strike action.

Teaching unions in Northern Ireland voted last week to take action short of a strike, after rejecting an "inadequate" two-year pay offer.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×