Teachers in England could launch strike action if the government does not offer a higher pay rise for the next academic year.

At its conference in Harrogate this week, the National Teaching Union (NEU) has said it will hold a formal ballot if the “unacceptable” recommendation of a 2.8% pay rise for next year is not improved.

A preliminary online ballot found that 84% of voters would be “willing to take action to secure an increased pay award”. However, only 47.2% of members voted, which falls below the 50% threshold for legal industrial action.

Teacher pay

Unions call 2.8% pay rise proposal an ‘insult’ 

Education union threatens strike action 

Last November, NEU members voted in favour of a 5.5% wage increase for the 2024/25 deal. A few weeks later, the NEU and other unions responded to the 2025/26 offer of 2.8% by “putting the government on notice”. The Unite union called the offer an “insult”.

The rise was recommended by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), but the government makes the final decision on pay awards based on the evidence presented.

The Department for Education has said it is dealing with a “challenging economic picture” despite its commitment to “supporting teachers to stay in the profession and thrive”.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said that a move towards industrial action would be “indefensible”.

Before the NEU can launch a formal ballot, it would need to reject a final decision from the government on the proposed rise, and whether that rise includes additional funding (rather than schools having to cover the award from existing budgets).

Members have voted to back a plan to move to a formal ballot “if the final outcome of the [School Teachers’ Review Body] process remains unacceptable or if the government does not announce real terms funding increases in the June spending review”.

General secretary Daniel Kebede called for Philipson to publish the STRB’s report “immediately”, adding that “we know it is on her desk currently. Once we do have that made public and we are aware of the funding settlement, the executive will consider the next steps.”

Kebede said that if the conclusion of the spending review is published in June and the ballot process opened up immediately after, strike action could happen in the autumn term.

He added: “I don’t think anyone in that room in the conference hall is expecting a 20 per cent pay award in one go.

“What we would like to see is a series of above inflation pay awards that fundamentally make the teachers’ pay more competitive.”

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