Teachers' unions demand fresh pay talks ahead of biggest strike action so far
Teachers' leaders today demanded fresh talks with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan as strikes loom this week.
Teachers across England are due to walk out on Wednesday and Thursday in the biggest disruption to lessons in the current pay dispute so far.
National Education Union joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said he expected "more than half of all schools" to close or partially shut.
Strikes could continue into the summer - potentially hitting exams.
While this week’s strikes are the last in seven scheduled days of industrial action, the NEU has a mandate to take action until mid-July.
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Ms Keegan has refused to re-enter pay negotiations unless union leaders call off this week's strikes.
Unions have called on Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to meet them for talks (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)Writing exclusively for The Mirror, NEU joint general secretary Mary Bousted says: “We want to talk to Gillian Keegan. We have so much to say about the crisis in our schools – from dilapidated school buildings to hungry and cold children.”
Unions want above-inflation pay rises and for schools to get extra cash so wage hikes do not come from existing budgets.
With annual price rises running at 10.1%, the Government says the pay demand is unaffordable.
The Government has proposed a 3% pay rise for most teachers in England in 2023/24 - way below the rate of inflation.
Mr Courtney told The Sunday Times the union could call off this week's strikes if teachers were offered a pay deal similar to that struck in Scotland, where teachers accepted a 7% wage hike backdated to April, another 5% next month and 2% in January.
Strikes planned for this week were called off in Wales after the Welsh Government outlined an 8% increase for 2022-23.
The Education Secretary has stressed strikes need to be called off before talks can begin.
She added: “Over two weeks have now passed since I made a serious offer to the National Education Union to start intensive talks on all areas of their dispute, including pay – on the single and reasonable condition that they pause their planned strikes which are damaging to children and disruptive to parents.
“This is the same offer that was accepted by unions representing nurses, ambulance workers and physiotherapists who all agreed to call off their strikes and are now representing their members in talks with the Government.
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“My offer still stands, to enter negotiations where we can discuss pay and end the disruption for children, their families and teachers.”
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