Teachers are striking on three days next month in the continued row over pay. The walk out is likely to shut schools again.
Hundreds of schools shut when teachers went on strike across Wales on February 1 demanding an above inflation pay rise. The dispute seems nowhere nearer being resolved.
Members of the National Education Union Cymru cancelled a planned strike on February 14 while members considered a renewed offer from the Welsh Government. But with the new offer also now rejected the NEU has confirmed planned strike days for March 2, 15 and 16.
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A Welsh Government Minister today repeated that there's no more cash after the fresh offer of the original 5% plus a further 1.5% pay rise and a one off cash bonus also equivalent to 1.5% of a teacher's salary was turned down. You can read more details of the offer here.
A similar offer has also been rejected by ambulance workers who are members of the Unite union while the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the GMB and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) have called off their planned strikes for now to allow for further talks with the Welsh Government. The offer for NHS workers is a 1.5% pay increase that will go into workers wages and be repeated next year and a one-off payment of 1% of a worker's salary.
Staff don’t have to inform headteachers if they plan to strike, making it hard for heads to plan. Some schools have warned that parents may be asked to come back and pick up their children up shortly after being dropped off on strike days.
Teacher Hannah O’Neill, an executive member of NEU Cymru, said the mood among members to fight for an above inflation pay rise was more determined now than ever. The union has said it believes the Welsh Government has more cash to offer, but is choosing not to spend it on schools.
“The mood among teachers is that they are more determined now. It’s not about lining our pockets, it’s about funding education properly," said Ms O'Neill.
“If we don’t fund schools and pay properly where are we going to be in 10 years time with the recruitment and retainment crisis we have now? We need to make the profession stronger and get quality people in. If we don’t we are not going to get quality teachers - How is that going to benefit every learner?”
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales this morning Lee Waters Welsh Government as the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, insisted there was no more money for teachers’ pay. Mr Waters said: "We are trying very hard with the teachers. We have said all along we completely understand where they are coming from and they deserve a pay rise.
"They do deserve a pay rise. But we, as a devolved government, do not have the resources to go beyond what we already have."
But that may ring hollow to NEU members. Education Minister Jeremy Miles insisted for months there was no more cash after initially offering a 5% pay rise for 2022-23. He then returned with more after teachers walked out on February 1.
Having once said there's no more money and then come back with more, union members are less likely to believe there isn't some cash available, union representatives said.
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