Teachers threatening to strike over pay have been told by the Welsh Government it does not have the money to meet their demands as it faces “the biggest cuts we have ever experienced”. Education minister Jeremy Miles has written to general secretaries of teaching unions balloting members for strike action, saying he understands their “anger and disappointment” and blaming the UK Government for slashing funds.
As his letter came the Nasuwt teachers' union defiantly announced it will ballot its members in Wales for industrial action over "the failure by the Welsh Government and employers to give teachers a fully-funded pay award of 12%". It is recommending members vote yes to take strike action and action short of strike.
Earlier this week Welsh language teachers' union UCAC announced it will ballot its members for possible strike action later this month while the NEU Cymru and Association of School and College Unions Cymru have warned they are likely to. Teaching unions have described this year’s below-inflation 5% pay award as an insult.
