Teachers from the National Education Union are preparing to walk out after crunch talks failed to make a breakthrough. Teaching union leaders spent six hours with officials at the Department for Education but the pay row remains unresolved.
Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said officials were doing their best to discuss issues including pay and workloads but faced the “dead hand” of the Treasury. She told the PA news agency that Friday’s discussions should have been held over the last several years.
There was no indication that more money will be made available to improve this year’s below-inflation pay rise which has led to a series of ballots for strikes. The NEU is pressing ahead with strikes in England and Wales from February 1.
