UNITED KINGDOM: Teachers in England decided on Monday to accept a government pay offer, according to Britain’s largest education unions, bolstering Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s efforts to end a series of disruptive public-sector strikes.
The National Education Union (NEU), the UK’s largest teaching union, has approved a pay offer in a referendum, with NASUWT and NAHT unions joining ASCL. The acceptance of the offer, according to the education secretary, is “good news” for educators, parents, and students.
The average teacher’s wage will increase by £2,500, according to NEU joint general secretary Mary Bousted. The union will continue to campaign for better school funding and teacher pay restoration, Bousted told the UK media.
Both sides argue that the wage offer is properly funded and not from school budgets. NEU teachers have been striking since February, leading to school closures. All four unions have asked members to participate in a strike ballot for the fall semester.
The NAHT, NASUWT, and NEU declared no further action, but their members approved the strikes. Bousted and Kevin Courtney, who serve as joint general secretaries, declared that the NEU’s battle for better wages and increased education financing would not be abandoned.
The majority of England state school teachers saw a pay increase of 5% in 2022–2023.
They requested higher salary increases for teachers to protect school budgets. After a previous government offer was turned down, the School Teachers’ Review Body recommended the 6.5% increase for 2023–2024.
On July 13, the latest offer was made public, and in a joint statement with union leaders, the ministers also agreed to broader reforms to lighten staff workloads.
The resolution of the conflict, according to Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, would free up more time to concentrate on what really matters: providing children with a top-notch education.
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