England’s largest teaching union is asking its members to consider strike action later this year, with the union’s general secretary accusing the government of planning an “insulting” pay rise.
The National Education Union (NEU) is opening an indicative ballot on Saturday on backing industrial action for an above-inflation pay increase in 2024-25, fully funded by the government. If carried, the union would then hold a formal strike ballot.
The vote comes after the Department for Education published its submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), the independent experts who advise on teachers’ pay. Rather than specifying a percentage pay increase, the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, has instead asked the STRB to make its recommendation “more sustainable” for school budgets.
The DfE’s submission also claimed that shortages would be combated by an upturn in unemployment making teachers less likely to leave the profession.
Daniel Kebede, the head of the NEU, said: “Gillian Keegan’s approach to this year’s pay review is nothing short of insulting … There is every indication the government will be unwilling to offer more than 1-2% in the next pay round, so we are putting our members on alert that action may be necessary to ensure a proper pay and funding offer for teachers.
“Rather than allow the government to undo the gains of last year, the NEU will seek to push forward in its campaign for a long-term correction on pay.
“We believe that the case for additional funding for pay and staffing provision is clear and obvious. Fair pay is not just a request but a necessity. Schools deserve proper funding for staffing provision – and also so that schools have the necessary funding to cover a pay rise.”
The DfE argued that the cumulative 12% pay rises, on average, received by teachers over the past two years meant there was less need for a substantial pay rise next year alongside forecasts of lower inflation.
But the NEU and other unions pointed to the results of the DfE’s own survey of 10,000 teachers in England, carried out last year but published on Thursday. It showed teachers and school leaders working longer hours than in 2022, with 36% saying they were considering quitting teaching, compared with 25% in 2022.
The DfE also surveyed those who left teaching, with 63% saying pay was the main reason, while many included stress and high workload as important factors. Of those that remained only 20% were satisfied with their pay level, compared with 26% in the previous survey.
Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the government’s stance on pay was “deeply concerning”.
“For over a decade, teachers and leaders have grappled with real-terms pay cuts in the face of a cost of living crisis, and sky-high inflation. The consequences of this are now being felt through a full-blown recruitment and retention crisis,” Whiteman said.
