Union bosses call off teacher strikes in autumn term after accepting 6.5 per cent pay rise

• NEU says 86% of members voted to accept the progress made in the pay dispute 

Union bosses have called off teacher strikes scheduled for the autumn term after accepting a 6.5% pay rise.

The National Education Union (NEU) said 86% of its teacher members in England who took part in an electronic ballot voted to accept the progress made in the pay dispute and call off industrial action, with a 60% turnout.

It comes after teacher members of the NEU staged eight days of strike action in state schools in England since February in a pay dispute.

Four education unions had been considering further walkouts in the autumn term, but their general secretaries recommended members accept the 6.5% pay rise for teachers in England offered earlier this month.

In a re-ballot of NEU teacher members in England on strike action, which opened in May before the pay offer was made, 95% supported renewing the union’s strike mandate for a further six months, with a turnout of 53%.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) during a rally at the Gala theatre in Durham during teacher walkouts earlier this month

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), during an interview at their offices in central London, after the members of the UK’s largest teaching union accepted a 6.5% pay rise

But the NEU has said the electronic ballot result on the Government’s 6.5% pay offer for 2023-24 means that further strike action over pay will now not go ahead in the autumn term.

An electronic ballot of the NEU’s support staff members in England also saw 85% accept the pay offer, with a turnout of 46%.

On July 13, the Government agreed to implement the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB)’s recommendation of a 6.5% increase for teachers in England from September this year.

Members of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in England have already voted to accept the pay rise from September.

Meanwhile, the NASUWT teachers’ union and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) are expected to announce their members’ responses to the pay offer on Monday.

The Government has said the 6.5% pay award for teachers will be ‘fully funded’, with £525 million of additional funding for schools in 2023-24 and a further £900 million in 2024-25.

The NEU’s electronic consultation did not include sixth form college teacher members as the pay increase is for teachers in state schools in England.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) on the picket line at Oasis Academy in London earlier this month

Joint NEU general secretaries Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney said: ‘As a democratic union, the NEU leadership promised members that any pay and funding offer given by Government that warranted their consideration would be put to them. Members have spoken very clearly and in great numbers.

‘The NEU submissions to the STRB went a long way towards changing the Government’s position on pay and funding. The strike action taken by our members also shifted the dial, securing the highest pay award for over thirty years. Members should be proud they have also secured extra funding for schools.’

They added: ‘The Government should be in no doubt that we will hold its feet to the fire on delivering for teachers and support staff on workload and funding and continue to represent the profession in future STRB consultations.

‘It remains the view of the NEU that school and college funding is far from adequate. It remains a commitment of the NEU to campaign for further increases in teacher pay.

‘Everyone in the school and colleges community deserves an education system that attracts and keeps teaching staff, and one that ensures every child gets the attention and support they deserve. Our campaign for a better-funded education system will not go away.’

In a statement, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the decision by the NEU to accept the deal would ‘bring an end to disruption’ to pupils’ education.

She said: ‘The decision of the largest teaching union, the National Education Union, to accept the 6.5% pay rise offered by the Government is good news for teachers, good news for parents, and most of all, good news for children.

‘The deal brings an end to the disruption faced by parents and young people and means we can focus on what matters most – giving our children a world class education.

‘That means tackling persistent absence and getting every child through the school gates every day, a relentless focus on closing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, and continued action to help young people make up for time lost during the pandemic.

‘None of that is possible without the hard work of teachers. So as a new school year approaches, I am looking forward to working closely with teachers, school leaders and teaching unions to make sure we’re tackling the issues that matter most and delivering the education that every child deserves – wherever they are in the country.’

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