London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 31, 2026

Wales strikes: Teachers reject pay offer and will take action

Wales strikes: Teachers reject pay offer and will take action

Teachers have rejected a Welsh government pay offer and are set to go on strike next month.

The National Education Union postponed Tuesday's strike but will now walk out on 2 March following a meeting between officials.

Ministers had offered an extra 1.5% pay rise, plus 1.5% as a one-off payment.

Teachers in the NEU and the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) previously rejected this year's pay rise of 5%.

Had they accepted the new offer, that would have meant a 6.5% pay rise with an additional one-off 1.5% this year.

Two further strikes are planned for 15 and 16 March.

The union's joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said: "In good faith the union postponed the day of action scheduled for 14 February, whilst we conveyed full details of (education minister) Jeremy Miles' offer and sought feedback from members in Wales.

"They have emphatically informed us that the offer of an additional 1.5% added to teachers' pay, plus an additional 1.5% lump sum is simply not good enough."

Mr Courtney insisted it failed to address the cost of living crisis, inflation, or the "damage" to pay since 2010.

"We have a clear mandate for strike action that is now rescheduled for 2 March in schools across Wales," he said.

David Evans said NEU Cymru was committed to seeking a resolution to the dispute.

The NEU's Wales secretary, David Evans, said NEU Cymru was committed to seeking a resolution to the dispute.

He said it would meet Welsh government education minister, Jeremy Miles, as often as necessary.

"Whilst we acknowledge that the Welsh government has made offers that include seeking to address workload and reopening negotiations for 2023/24, those offers still fall short of our members expectations and needs," he said.

The Welsh government said it appreciated teachers' work but that it was operating under "challenging financial constraints".

It believed its pay offer was "strong".

"We are keen to continue to have discussions with partners," a spokesman said.
Cadija Balde said she would not be able to work during the strike


Outside Baden Powell Primary, in Tremorfa, Cardiff, parents said they backed teachers.

Cadija Balde said: "For me as a mum I support them, but as a mum it will affect me with the kids being off school as I want to go to work.

"If my son cannot go to school, I cannot work."

Claire Bailey said teachers deserved a pay increase.

She said: "They work hard enough and everything they've done throughout Covid, I can't thank them enough, so the least they can do is offer them a pay rise."

Jenny Ashton said teachers should get fair pay


Jenny Ashton said: "I back them. If you see how much work they do, they are bringing up our kids, we're not the only ones doing it.

"So I think they should get fair pay."

Laura Boyd said: "They are struggling with the current crisis and financial needs, and even though they work long hours, and get the holidays they do, they still need a pay rise to try and pay their own bills and support their own families."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Andy Burnham has Announces Plans to Redistribute Income Tax Revenue to English Mayors
Early-Release Scheme Faces Fresh Scrutiny as Reoffending and Prison Recalls Rise
Police Phone Checks Followed Report on Murder of MI5 Agent Inside Sinn Féin
Archbishop of Canterbury Reaffirms £100 Million Reparative Justice Fund During Ghana Visit
Charities Allege French Police Used Tear Gas Against Channel Migrants
Norwegian Teenager Convicted Over Iran-Linked Murder Plot in Britain
Christian Organisations File Charity Complaints Against Amnesty International UK
Ofgem Tightens Grid Connection Rules for New Data Centres
FTSE 100 Reaches Record High Despite Global Technology Sell-Off
Millions of UK Households Urged to Check Eligibility for Winter Energy Discount
Labour Restores Parliamentary Whips to Diane Abbott and Joani Reid
UK Supreme Court to Hear Challenge Over Palestine Action Ban
UK Commits More Than £8.4 Billion to Dreadnought Nuclear Submarine Programme
England Declares Severe Drought as Wildfire Burns Near Sizewell Nuclear Site
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75% as Middle East Tensions Fuel Inflation Risks
Drought Status Extended Across All of Wales as Heat and Dry Weather Deepen Environmental Strain
Record-Low Danube Exposes Probable Mammoth Remains in Bulgaria
UK Business Confidence Climbs to Four-Month High
Greater Manchester Gains Expanded Powers Under Regional Funding Reforms
UK Supreme Court to Hear Appeal Over Palestine Action Terror Ban
Shell's Quarterly Profit Doubles to Nearly $10 Billion on Higher Energy Prices
UK Government Removes VAT From Household Electricity Bills
Exceptional Drought Grips Half of England as Wildfire Threatens Sizewell
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75% as Inflation Risks Persist
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
The chief executive of the popular gaming company laid off many employees and his pay rose to 38 million dollars
UK Employment Holds Steady as Wage Growth Remains Moderate
England to Introduce Artificial Intelligence into Secondary School Curriculum
Wales Launches £1.2 Billion Industrial Regeneration Programme
High Court Upholds UK Digital Surveillance Framework
Northern Ireland Reaches Budget Agreement on Infrastructure and Public Sector Pay
Home Office Expands Digital Border Checks Nationwide
UK Approves Major North Sea Wind and Carbon Capture Project
The World's Most Terrifying Smartphone: Recording, Documenting, and Reporting to the Regime
Scotland Approves Major Renewable Energy Expansion
UK and United States Sign AI and Semiconductor Cooperation Pact
UK Treasury Tightens Fiscal Controls After Gilt Market Volatility
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 4.5%
UK Unveils £10 Billion NHS Funding Overhaul and Workforce Reform
The AI User Nightmare: Private Claude Conversations Leaked to the Internet
UK: Former Football Association Leaders Call for World Cup Boycott Over FIFA Privatization Plan
Forbidden Love: China severs millions from their virtual partners
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Prince Harry Faces Significant Legal Costs After Insurance Shortfall
FirstGroup Sells Rail Software Business to Tracsis for £48 Million
Victoria and Albert Museum Staff Vote for Strike Action
Norwegian Teenager Convicted Over Contract Killing Plot in Britain
Royal Mail Raises Bulk Mailing Prices by 30%
Immigration Remains Britain's Top Public Concern, Ipsos Survey Finds
Prime Minister Says Social Care Reform Must Precede Assisted Dying Legislation
×