London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 12, 2026

Teachers vote for another three days of strikes

Teachers vote for another three days of strikes

Teacher strikes are likely to continue in England until the end of the school year, after National Education Union (NEU) members voted for three strike days in late June or early July.
Strike dates have already been confirmed for 27 April and 2 May.

The NEU also plans to ask members whether they want to continue strike action next year, in a move the government said was "unforgiveable".

It rejected an improved pay offer this week.

Most teachers were offered a 4.3% rise next year, as well as a £1,000 one-off payment this year. Starting salaries would also rise to £30,000 from September.

The three further dates - which members voted for at the NEU conference in Harrogate - will now have to be approved by the NEU executive when it meets on 18 May.

The proposals mean strikes will not take place while students sit their A-level and GCSE exams.

However, the NEU intends to use the exam period - which starts on 15 May - to re-ballot its teacher members in England on further strike action in the next academic year.

Kevin Courtney, its joint general secretary, said: "Parents and the education profession will be in no doubt that if further industrial action needs to be taken the blame for this will lie squarely at the government's door."

Less than half of England's schools were fully operational during national teacher strikes on 1 February and 15 and 16 March.

Negotiations after the last national strike resulted in an improved pay offer from the government.

The results of the NEU ballot on Monday found 98% of members were in favour of turning the deal down.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) also overwhelmingly rejected the pay offer.

Both unions argue it was not fully funded, which could mean schools having to make cuts elsewhere.

The government said it believed schools could afford to fund most of the 4.3% pay rise through money already promised in the Autumn Statement, but that it would have provided some additional money to fund the remainder of it, and to fund the £1,000 one-off payment.

However, Luke Sibieta, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said the average school could fund a "small amount of the higher pay offer" from its budget - but the picture varied from school to school.

The Department for Education said it was "unforgiveable that the NEU are re-balloting for more strike action up until Christmas this year".

"NEU and ASCL's decision to reject this offer will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today," a spokeswoman said.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said pay would now be decided by the independent pay review body, which would recommend pay rises for next year. This means the £1,000 payment for this year will not happen.

Teacher salaries fell by an average of 11% between 2010 and 2022, after taking inflation into account, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Most state school teachers in England had a 5% rise in 2022.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Government Creates Emergency Support Scheme for Financially Struggling Universities
United Kingdom Replaces Traditional Farm Subsidies With Payments Linked to Environmental Performance
National Grid Reports First Week of Electricity Generation Without Fossil Fuels
United Kingdom Financial Regulator Introduces Tougher Capital Rules for Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Belfast Harbour Expands Operations to Attract Investment Through United Kingdom and European Union Market Access
Scottish Government Threatens Legal Challenge Over Westminster Cuts to North Sea Transition Funding
United Kingdom Accelerates Trans-Pennine High-Speed Rail Project Linking Northern Cities
United Kingdom Secures Ten Billion Pound Investment for Cambridge Quantum Computing Campus
Port Talbot Steelworks Wins Support for Green Hydrogen Transition and Protection of Industrial Jobs
United Kingdom Sends Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group to Indo-Pacific as Regional Security Focus Expands
National Health Service Expands Artificial Intelligence Diagnostics Across England to Reduce Screening Backlogs
United Kingdom Launches Fifty Billion Pound Infrastructure Fund to Accelerate Housing and Construction
UK Medical Chiefs Update Health Guidance to Promote Everyday Physical Activity
Office of Communications Keeps Wikipedia Under Review Under UK Online Safety Rules
UK Defence Ministry Expands Deep-Strike Capability Through Precision Missile Programme
Russell Group Universities Warn Funding Cuts Could Damage NHS Workforce Training
UK Parliament Calls for National Emergency Broadcast as Heatwave Conditions Intensify
UK and Netherlands Strengthen Naval Cooperation With New Amphibious Defence Partnership
UK Defence Ministry Joins International Missile Programme With One Hundred and Ninety Million Pound Investment
Bank of England Warns Middle East Conflict and AI Risks Could Pressure UK Economy
UK Government Introduces New Rules to Limit Foreign Influence in Political Donations
UK and France Prepare Naval Mission to Protect Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz
United States Pressures UK to Increase Defence Spending at NATO Summit
Bank of England Warns Artificial Intelligence Investment Boom Could Create Financial Stability Risks
Bank of England Begins Direct Oversight of Critical Technology Providers Supporting UK Finance
Andy Burnham Set to Become UK Prime Minister After Labour Leadership Race Clears Path to Downing Street
Scottish Fishing Industry Calls for Emergency Support Amid Rising Costs
UK Supports Stronger European Response to Russian Actions in Ukraine
Devon and Cornwall Police Release Suspect in Ann Widdecombe Murder Investigation
Scottish MPs Demand More Government Support for Fishing Industry
UK Aviation Sector Faces New Rules as Parliament Reviews Passenger Protection Reforms
King’s College London Disciplines Students Over Pro-Palestine Campus Protests
Ministry of Defence Expands Military Capabilities Through New Precision Strike Investment
United Kingdom Condemns Russian Treatment of Ukrainian Children at International Security Forum
House of Lords Reviews Civil Aviation Bill to Strengthen Passenger Rights and UK Aviation Competitiveness
UK Aerospace and Defence Industries Contribute Nearly Forty-Seven Billion Pounds to Economy
UK Government Advances Consultation on Possible Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
United Kingdom Ratifies Global High Seas Treaty to Protect Marine Biodiversity
United Kingdom Joins United States Precision Strike Missile Programme With One Hundred Ninety Million Pound Investment
UK Senior NHS Doctors Vote for Further Strike Action Over Pay and Contract Disputes
BBC Leadership Resigns After Donald Trump Launches Ten Billion Dollar Defamation Lawsuit
UK Fiscal Watchdog Warns Andy Burnham Government Faces One Hundred Billion Pound Budget Challenge
The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More
Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance
Following Massive Investor Demand: SK Hynix Raises 26.5 Billion Dollars on Nasdaq
Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight
After Four Years, and Under a Heavy Veil of Secrecy: King Charles Meets His Grandchildren, Harry and Meghan's Children
Cross-Party MPs Call for National Climate Emergency Broadcast
Bayeux Tapestry Arrives in the United Kingdom for Landmark Exhibition
United Kingdom Launches Modern Slavery Prevention Programme in Vietnam
×