Education Minister Gillian Keegan said a pay rise for teachers was the government’s last offer.
It includes a payment of £1,000 this year and a 4.3% increase for most teachers next year.
Some unions are urging their members to reject the deal and the NEU announces two more days of strikes.
If that’s the case, the decision will go back to the Pay Verification Body, which has recommended a 3% increase from September 2023, Ms Keegan says – and that year’s £1,000 payment would be lost.
She was disappointed that the unions advised rejecting “a fair and reasonable offer”, said the education minister. “We went as far as we could” in the negotiations, and it was expected that inflation would be much lower next year when the pay rise went into effect.
If the wage offer is accepted, “it will be funded because we know that’s important for schools,” Ms Keegan added.
However, the National Education Union (NEU) is urging its members to vote against the wage offer, saying it is “not good enough” and “not fully funded”.
The result of their vote will be announced on Monday 3 April. And if they reject the deal, the next two strike days in England will be:
- Thursday April 27th
- Tuesday May 2nd
The NEW says it is speaking to school leaders to ensure exam preparation for GCSE and A Level students is not disrupted.
Three other unions, NASUWT, the Association of School and College Leaders and the National Association of Head Teachers are also voting on the offer, with NAHT also asking if they would take industrial action if they were rejected.
NAHT members first voted to go on strike in January – but turnout was 42%, below the 50% legal requirement.
The government says it will make £2.3 billion available to schools over the next two years.
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