Teachers in Wales will strike again on March 2 after rejecting a renewed pay offer from the Welsh Government. NEU Cymru members said the new offer was “just not good enough”.
Hundreds of schools shut on February 1 as teachers walked out of the classroom over the initial 5% pay offer. Education Minister Jeremy Miles came back last week with a further 1.5% pay rise and the offer of a one off cash bonus also equivalent to 1.5% of a teacher's salary.
The NEU postponed planned strikes for February 14 while that was put to members. They have now come back with a resounding rejection. A similar offer has also been rejected by ambulance workers who are members of the Unite union.
Read more: Read more: The powerful reasons teachers on the picket line gave for why they are striking
In a statement the NEU Cymru said: “Following a meeting of Welsh representatives last evening, the National Education Union has rejected the pay offer made by Wales’ Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, at a meeting of trade unions held last week.”
Speaking about the decision, Joint General Secretary Kevin Courtney said: “In good faith the union postponed the day of action scheduled for 14 February, whilst we conveyed full details of the Jeremy Miles’ offer and sought feedback from members in Wales.
“They have emphatically informed us that the offer of an additional 1.5% added to teachers pay, plus an additional 1.5% lump-sum is simply not good enough and fails to address either the cost of living crisis, spiralling inflation, nor the damage done to pay since 2010.
“We have a clear mandate for strike action that is now rescheduled for 2 March in schools across Wales. “We have thanked the minister for being prepared to negotiate with us, in stark contrast to the Westminster Government”
The revised offer from the Welsh Government, which came late on February 8, which would see teachers get an extra 1.5% % on top of the 5% already offered - and a further 1.5% as a one off payment - you can read more about the offer and what it would have meant here.
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Wales Secretary David Evans added: “NEU Cymru are committed to seeking a resolution to this dispute on behalf of teacher and support staff members employed across Wales. Our demands have been clear, and we will meet with the minister and his officials as often as necessary in order to seek to secure a deal that will resolve all issues.
“Whilst we acknowledge that the Welsh Government have made offers that include seeking to address workload and reopening negotiations for 2023/24, those offers still fall short of our members expectations and needs.”
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NEU local representatives described the mood as “angry and determined” and said teachers felt ignore. The said they are striking not just for fair pay but also what they said is a crisis in recruitment and retainment as a result of low pay awards over many years and lack of school funding.
Headteachers who are members of the NAHT in Wales are also continuing a work to rule. They are being balloted on the new offer. It will be an electronic ballot closing February 27.
A Welsh government spokesperson said: "Everyone recognises the excellent work of our workforce, but they also recognise the challenging financial constraints we are operating in. We believe an offer that is the equivalent of an 8% pay rise, with 6.5% consolidated, is a strong one in the context of a reducing Welsh Government budget.
“For teachers to be able to benefit from an additional backdated pay rise for 2022-23 an agreement will be needed by mid-March. We are keen to continue to have discussions with partners in order to make rapid progress.”
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