London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Apr 20, 2025

Teachers' strikes: NEU urges teachers to reject new pay deal

Teachers' strikes: NEU urges teachers to reject new pay deal

Schools in England could face further strike action as the National Education Union has asked teachers to reject a new pay offer, after intensive talks.

The government has offered teachers a £1,000 extra cash payment this year and a 4.3% rise for most staff next year.

Many teachers in England received a pay rise of 5% in September 2022 but unions say this was a cut due to inflation.

Thousands of schools were disrupted by the latest walkout by teachers who are members of the NEU.

Four unions have been involved in six days of intensive talks with the education secretary since 17 March about teachers' pay, conditions and workload.

The NAHT, NEU, ASCL and NASUWT unions have been calling for above-inflation pay rises, funded by extra money from the government rather than coming from schools' existing budgets.

The government says it is giving schools £2.3 billion over the next two years and starting salaries for new teachers will reach £30,000 next year.

In an interview with the BBC, Kevin Courtney, the NEU's general secretary, said his union was unhappy with the offer and believed it was "not fully funded in schools, and that the majority of schools would have to make cuts in order to afford it".

Members will be able to vote on the offer through an electronic ballot, which opens on Monday evening and will run until Sunday. The result of that will be announced at the NEU conference on 3 April.

More walkouts could be called if members reject the offer.

Mr Courtney said the "lack of teacher pay rises" was one reason schools are struggling to recruit and retain staff.

"That's impacting on children's education every day," he said.

The NEU said it would ensure GCSE and A-level classes were not disrupted by further strike days.

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the NAHT, said his union would consider the offer on Monday evening before deciding next steps.

More than 50% of schools in England were fully closed or restricted attendance during strike days on 15 and 16 March, according to government data


Teacher salaries fell by an average of 11% between 2010 and 2022, after taking inflation into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says.

The government had offered most teachers a 3% rise for the next school year, 2023-24.

The NEU says the new pay offer will give teachers an average increase of 4.5%, but experienced teachers will get 4.3%. The union says this is a real-terms pay cut which will leave many teachers still struggling to make ends meet.

The BBC has been told that if the union rejects the offer, the decision on how much teachers will be offered will be passed to the pay review body, an independent body which gathers evidence on what some public sector workers are paid. But if this happens, the £1,000 cash payment for this year would not happen.

Outside a primary school in Manchester, Fahad, who has two children, says he is still supportive of the teachers' demands even if more strikes go ahead.

"These professions should be looked after and given more support and more increase in pay," he says.

Farnaz, who also has two primary school-aged children said teachers are well within their rights to strike if they want to, but that "it's hard when they're off because then I have to take time off work",

"I hope they come to some sort of agreement and that (teachers) do get what they want," she adds.

A Department for Education spokesperson said the government had put forward a "fair and reasonable offer, backed with funding for schools".

"The offer provides an average 4.5% pay rise for next year, puts £1,000 into the pockets of teachers as a one-off payment for this year, and commits to reducing workload by five hours each week.

"This is a good deal for teachers that acknowledges their hard work and dedication."

Fahad, who has two children in primary school, says if more strikes go ahead he is still supportive of teachers' demands.


The dispute over teachers' pay has been resolved in Scotland.

Teachers in Scotland have accepted a 7% rise for 2022/23, which will be backdated to April. They have also accepted a 5% rise in April 2023, and a 2% rise in January 2024.

Teachers from the largest teaching union in Wales, the NEU, have agreed on an increased pay offer of 8% for 2022/23, which consists of a 6.5% annual pay rise and a one-off lump sum payment, as well as a 5% pay rise for 2023/24.

But Wales' school leaders' union, NAHT Cymru, has rejected the offer and says funding arrangements remain a major concern for school leaders. Members are continuing to take action short of strikes - which includes refusing to attend evening meetings and only responding to calls and emails between 09:00 and 15:00 BST.

In Northern Ireland, five unions are also continuing to take action short of a strike.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
UK Psytrance Festival Cancelled Amid Local Protests Over Noise Concerns
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
Canada's Federal Party Leaders Engage in Final Debate Ahead of General Election
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
Fast Food Chain Refuses to Apologize for Online Comment About Katy Perry's Space Voyage
New York Attorney General Letitia James Faces Criminal Referral for Alleged Mortgage Fraud
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
US Senator Meets with Deported Immigrant in El Salvador Amid Custody Dispute
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
UK Government Assumes Control of British Steel's Scunthorpe Plant Amid Shutdown Threat
UK MP Wera Hobhouse Denied Entry to Hong Kong During Family Visit
Bangladesh Issues Arrest Warrant for UK MP Tulip Siddiq
China Urges United States to Cancel Tariffs Amid Escalating Trade Tensions
The Empire’s USD Pyramid Scheme Is Working Brilliantly—So Why ‘Fix’ It?
China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Escalating Trade Dispute
Elon Musk Reports $150 Billion in Projected Government Savings Amid Fraud Investigations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
U.S. Tariff Escalation Sparks Global Trade Tensions
Helicopter crashes in NYC with four people on board.
Australia Dismisses China's Suggestion to Collaborate Against US Tariffs
EU Postpones Response to US Tariffs
The Trump Administration is contemplating removing Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges.
Violent Incidents and Public Safety Concerns Escalate in London and County Durham
UK MP Arrested on Suspicion of Rape and Child Sex Offences
UK Gears Up to Respond to US Tariffs with Industrial Strategies and Trade Initiatives
‘Rocky’ star Dolph Lundgren and his wife Emma Krokdal bask in the Miami sunshine following the actor’s lengthy health struggles.
Spain Encounters Countrywide Protests as Housing Crisis Intensifies
Alisha Lehmann's Modeling Campaign and Public Controversy Stir Debate Ahead of UEFA Women's Euro
U.S. Firms with Major International Revenue Exposure in Light of New Tariffs
President Trump Calls on the Federal Reserve to Reduce Interest Rates in Light of New Tariffs
President Trump Prolongs TikTok Sale Deadline by 75 Days
Global Markets Dive Amid Rising U.S.-China Trade Conflicts
British comedian Russell Brand faces charges of rape and several sexual assaults.
Kanye West Reveals in a New Song That His Wife Bianca Censori Has Departed from Him
Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme Accused of Having Sex with Human Trafficking Victims
Tom Cruise Pays Tribute to Val Kilmer at CinemaCon
Europe Pursues Digital Autonomy Amidst Transatlantic Strains
OpenAI Lands Unprecedented $40 Billion Funding.
×