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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Lizzy Buchan

Teachers strikes to go ahead as no pay offer made in 'disappointing' talks

Teachers strikes are set to go ahead this month after crunch talks between unions and the Education Secretary today failed to break the deadlock.

The National Education Union (NEU) will press on with looming walkouts unless they get a better pay deal, while other unions are considering re-balloting their members.

Teaching unions held talks with Gillian Keegan to resolve the bitter pay dispute, which has already led to a national strike this month where the majority of schools in England were affected.

But the summit was branded "disappointing" after the Education Secretary failed to make an offer on pay for struggling teachers.

NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said the Tory schools chief struck a "better tone" than in previous talks but "in terms of actual outcomes, the meeting was disappointing."

(PA)

He added: "There is nothing in it that could persuade us not to go ahead with the action that we've got scheduled for the week after half-term."

NEU members will take part in regional walkouts on February 28, March 1 and March 2 - with national strikes due to be held on March 15 and March 16.

The union suspended a day of strike action in Wales this week after it received a pay offer from the Welsh government.

But it has now rejected the offer of an extra 1.5% on top of this year's 5% pay award, as well as a one-off payment.

The strike action will now take place on March 2.

The Scottish Government also made a new pay offer for teachers in Scotland - where teachers who earn up to £80,000 would be given a 6% pay boost backdated to April 2022 and a further 5.5% from the start of the 2023 financial year, representing 11.5% over two years.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: "Given developments in Wales and Scotland in the last week, the Education Secretary has some catching up to do.

"Whilst other administrations are trying to find a way forward, the same commitment to find a settlement is now needed from ministers in Westminster."

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said further strike action by teachers is "inevitable" unless there is "tangible progress" towards an improved offer.

He said: "While the tone of today's talks signalled a greater sense of urgency on the part of the Government, we have to report that once again there is no new offer to improve the inadequate pay settlement which has sparked the ongoing dispute."

Mr Barton added: "We cannot go on like this. Unless there is tangible progress towards an improved offer, the prospect of further strike action by NEU members is inevitable and will lead to members of our union, and other education unions, also concluding that industrial action is the only option left."

ASCL held a consultative ballot of members which backed moving to a formal strike ballot - but it has not taken this step yet.

The Department for Education (DfE) offered a 5% pay rise to most teachers for the current school year but the NEU is demanding a fully funded above-inflation pay rise for teachers.

It comes as an online poll of more than 1,200 parents found that 63% agreed that teachers should receive a pay settlement in line with current inflation and 54% said they supported strike action.

The survey was carried out by Parentkind in January ahead of the first day of teacher strikes in England and Wales.

A Department for Education spokesperson said:“Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan held further constructive talks with union leaders today.

"They discussed a range of issues such as workload reduction, and recruitment and retention.

“The Education Secretary instructed officials to hold further detailed talks with unions and committed to more talks ahead of planned strike action.”

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