Teachers and Support Staff to Vote on Strike Action
Teachers and school support staff in England are set to vote on whether to initiate strike action if the government maintains its current pay recommendation for the upcoming academic year.
The National Education Union (NEU), which is the largest teaching union in England, has announced plans to conduct a formal ballot in the autumn should the government fail to take urgent measures.
Government Pay Recommendation and Union Response
The government has proposed a 6.5% pay award to be distributed over the next three years. However, the NEU has criticized this offer, stating it is unlikely to keep pace with inflation and has described it as an "insult." The union demands a pay increase that exceeds inflation rates.
The Department for Education (DfE) responded to the NEU's announcement by calling it "extremely disappointing," emphasizing that any strike action would ultimately affect children and parents adversely.
Inflation and Funding Concerns
The NEU's demand for pay rises above inflation is linked to recent increases in inflation following the onset of the Iran war. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measured inflation at 3.3% for the year ending March, but the Bank of England has warned that inflation could rise further this year due to a "significant energy price shock."
Additionally, the union insists that the government should fully fund any pay increases so that schools are not required to allocate funds from existing budgets. The NEU maintains that the current government recommendation is insufficient.
Union Leadership Comments
"No member wants to be taking strike action," said NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede, "but pay and workload issues had fuelled a 'recruitment and retention crisis that is directly impacting' education."
"Unfunded below-inflation pay increases are an insult. The government is well aware that schools do not have the money to fund them," Kebede added.
"To avoid this collision course the government needs to step up and deliver the properly funded education system our children and young people deserve."
Department for Education Statement
A spokeswoman for the Department for Education stated:
"Ultimately, it will be children, young people and hard-working parents who will pay the price for any industrial action.
We've taken action to restore teaching as the highly valued profession it should be including boosting pay, and tackling poor pupil behaviour, high workload, and poor wellbeing so more teachers stay on in the profession and thrive."
Pay Review Process
Each year, the independent School Teachers Review Body (STRB) receives submissions on pay from the government, unions, and other stakeholders. The STRB then makes recommendations to ministers, who have the final authority to decide the pay awards.
The Department for Education's submission proposed a 6.5% pay award over the academic years 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29, with the majority of the increase weighted towards the latter two years. This approach is intended to allow schools more time to plan for operational, provision, or staffing changes.
The STRB's report has not yet been published, and a final pay offer has not been announced. However, the NEU has indicated that "early reports" suggest the offer will be insufficient to prevent redundancies and increased workloads in schools.
Previous Ballots and Strike Action
An informal indicative ballot conducted earlier this year, with a turnout of 48.6%, revealed that 90.5% of NEU teacher members would be willing to take industrial action over pay.
NEU members participated in strike action over pay in the first half of 2023, resulting in school closures on eight days of industrial action. The union suspended further strikes after the government revised its 2023 offer to a 6.5% pay increase.
Teachers received a 5.5% pay rise in 2024 and a 4% rise in 2025.
