School strikes in autumn will not go ahead after members of all four teaching unions accepted a 6.5 per cent pay rise for teachers in England.
Members of the largest teaching union, the National Education Union (NEU), as well as NASUWT and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) accepted the offer on Tuesday, with ASCL doing the same earlier in July.
NEU said 86 per cent of its teacher members in England who took part in an electronic ballot voted to accept the progress made in the pay dispute and call off industrial action, with a 60 per cent turnout.
Teacher members of the NEU have staged eight days of strike action in state schools in England since February in a pay dispute.
Some 77.6 per cent of NASUWT’s members indicated they were willing to accept the pay offer and 85 per cent of NAHT members.
The four education unions had been considering further walkouts in the autumn term, but their general secretaries recommended members accept the 6.5 per cent pay rise for teachers in England, offered earlier this month.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said on Monday afternoon: “Teachers and headteachers should benefit from more money in their pockets at a time when they are struggling with rising interest rates, rocketing rents and mortgages and persistent high inflation.
“Whilst NASUWT members are willing to accept the STRB pay award recommendation, they do not believe that it is sufficient redress for the impact of more than a decade of real-terms pay cuts, where the value of teachers’ pay has declined by 25 per cent. Furthermore, our members do not agree that sufficient action is yet being taken to address their concerns over excessive workload and long working hours.
“We have today written to the Education Secretary calling on the Government to do more to address our members’ demands for pay restoration and immediate action to tackle excessive workload and long working hours.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said the prospect of strike action in the autumn “is no longer necessary” despite the union securing a strike mandate for the next six months.
In a re-ballot of NEU teacher members in England on strike action, which opened in May before the pay offer was made, 95 per cent supported renewing the union’s strike mandate for a further six months, with a turnout of 53 per cent.
But the NEU has said the electronic ballot result on the Government’s 6.5 per cent pay offer for 2023-24 means that further strike action over pay will now not go ahead.
An electronic ballot of the NEU’s support staff members in England also saw 85 per cent accept the pay offer, with a turnout of 46 per cent.
On July 13, the Government agreed to implement the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB)’s recommendation of a 6.5 per cent increase for teachers in England from September this year.
Members of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in England have already voted to accept the pay rise from September.
The Government has said the 6.5 per cent pay award for teachers will be “fully funded”, with £525 million of additional funding for schools in 2023-24 and a further £900 million in 2024-25.
The NEU’s electronic consultation did not include sixth form college teacher members as the pay increase is for teachers in state schools in England.
Joint NEU general secretaries Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney said: “As a democratic union, the NEU leadership promised members that any pay and funding offer given by Government that warranted their consideration would be put to them. Members have spoken very clearly and in great numbers.
“The NEU submissions to the STRB went a long way towards changing the Government’s position on pay and funding. The strike action taken by our members also shifted the dial, securing the highest pay award for over thirty years. Members should be proud they have also secured extra funding for schools.”
They added: “The Government should be in no doubt that we will hold its feet to the fire on delivering for teachers and support staff on workload and funding and continue to represent the profession in future STRB consultations.
“It remains the view of the NEU that school and college funding is far from adequate. It remains a commitment of the NEU to campaign for further increases in teacher pay.
“Everyone in the school and colleges community deserves an education system that attracts and keeps teaching staff, and one that ensures every child gets the attention and support they deserve. Our campaign for a better-funded education system will not go away.”
