When NEU staff will walk out in July and why action is continuing
Schools face more disruption in England as teachers prepare for a fresh round of strikes over pay in an escalation of a long-running dispute.
The National Education Union (NEU), the largest teaching union, has set two further strike dates and called for talks with the Government, insisting that the strikes are a last resort.
But Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, has previously said industrial action was “extremely disappointing” after months of walkouts.
When are the NEU striking?
The NEU is set to walk out on 5 and 7 July, causing disruption to schools in the current term, with lots of schools due to fully or partially close.
But formal exams will not be affected as all GCSEs, AS levels and A-levels are due to finish by 27 June at the latest.
Members of the union are currently being re-balloted to see if they want to continue taking industrial action for the rest of the year.
The NEU’s re-ballot for strike action opened on 15 May and will close on 28 July.
This year, there have been five national and three regional strike days by members of the NEU.
What have the NEU said?
The stikes come amid frustation from teaching unions that the Education Secretary has failed to announce an improved pay offer despite receiving formal recommendations by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB).
In a joint statement, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said “it is within Gillian Keegan’s grasp for this action to be halted”.
But they claimed that their calls to the Education Secretary “have fallen on stony ground”.
“The Education Secretary refused to re-enter negotiation on the grounds that she and her Department were waiting for the publication of the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation on pay,” they said.
“This week she has written to us saying: “I can confirm that I have received the [STRB] report and its recommendations.”
But the NEU said the minister would not comment on speculation that it was suggesting a 6.5 per cent pay rise.
The union leaders said they were worried that the Government was contemplating not implementing the report or not funding it properly.
What are other unions doing?
The other education unions – ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT – are also balloting their members for strikes over pay and funding for teachers in England.
If members vote in favour, the unions will be handed a legal mandate to launch walkouts beyond Christmas and into 2024.
The unions have warned of co-ordinated action in the autumn term if there is no settlement to the dispute.
If that happens, it lays open the possibility of all schools across England being forced to close.
Strikes will cause ‘real damage’ to pupils
A Department for Education spokesperson said further strike action would cause “real damage” to pupil learning and increase disruption for parents.
“Thousands of schools are receiving significant additional funding as part of the extra £2bn of investment we are providing for both 2023-24 and 2024-25 which will take school funding its highest level in history next year, as measured by the IFS,” the spokesperson said.
“As part of the normal process, the independent School Teachers’ Review Body has submitted its recommendations to Government on teacher pay for 2023-24. We will be considering the recommendations and will publish our response in the usual way.”
