Teachers in England begin strike over pay rise

Teachers in England begin strike over pay rise 

Many schools in England on Wednesday shut down classes as teachers resumed their long-running pay dispute with the government.

Teaching members of the National Education Union (NEU) returned to the picket lines outside schools and colleges while a number of rallies were held due to what members say is the government’s “running down” of education.

There are fears that pupils could miss out on end-of-year activities including concerts, trips and sports days.

Another strike is planned for Friday, while Wednesday marked the seventh day individual schools in England faced walkouts by NEU members since February.

Union leaders had warned that schools could face coordinated strike action by education unions if a deal over pay could not be reached.

Speaking from a picket line outside Regent High School in London, NEU General Secretary-elect Daniel Kebede said teachers are taking up second jobs amid the cost of living crisis.

The government offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5 per cent rise for staff next year after intensive talks with the education unions in March.

But all four education unions involved in the dispute rejected the offer and the decision on teachers’ pay in England for next year has been passed to the independent School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB).