Teachers could launch fresh strike action in the coming months if Labour refuses to offer a pay rise of at least 4 per cent, i can reveal.
Their unions want pay rises for teachers that at least keep pace with the rate of inflation and go some way to restoring the real terms pay cuts they have seen since 2010.
The NASUWT, the second-largest classroom teacher other major teaching union, is going further and wants a minimum 8 per cent pay increase for 2024/25.
But it is the National Education Union (NEU), the largest teaching union, that is warning that strikes could be on the cards if ministers do not heed its demands.
Daniel Kebede, NEU general secretary, told i that his union could move to a formal ballot for strike action: “lf there was a [real terms] pay cut for teachers, if there was no willingness to engage with the union, about correcting the issue of pay over the course of the Parliament.”
He said for his members to accept a pay award it would have to be “north of 4 per cent”. Mr Kebede said that was what was needed to “avert the current crisis in recruitment and retention” and “to correct the decline in teachers’ pay over the last 14 years”.
The NEU’s call for more than 4 per cent is understood to be based on the 4.4 per cent level of inflation in April. Mr Kebede refused to rule out more strikes but said he would be “incredibly sad” if the union had to move to a formal ballot.
Both the headteacher unions – ASCL and the NAHT – are also calling “inflation plus” pay rises. And ASCL (Association of School and College Leaders) general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio, ASCL’s general secretary told i his union had not ruled out striking for the first time over the issue.
“We’ve not been on strike before and we’d always consider that to be a last option,” he said. “It’s not something we’ve done, or something we take lightly. I would hope that what we’d see is a pay award that recognises the challenges in the sector at the moment.”
But Labour has set itself a tight set of fiscal rules with no clear funding stream for large public sector pay rises.
The NASUWT’s 8 per cent demand came in its evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). It is understood that the union’s position has not changed since.
The STRB makes recommendations on teacher pay in England and reports to the Secretary of State for Education and the Prime Minister. Former education secretary Gillian Keegan delayed publishing and responding to the STRB until after the election on 4 July, causing uproar from the unions.
As the new Secretary of State, it is now up to Bridget Phillipson to publish the STRB report and announce the Government’s response. She has vowed to “reset the relationship” with teachers and is meeting with union leaders this week in private to discuss their priorities for schools.
Mr Kebede met with Ms Phillipson on Tuesday and told i afterwards that there was a “feeling of hope” in the profession.
He said the meeting was “refreshing”: “Everybody is going to have to get used to a different relationship with government. One where there is dialogue and collaboration and that is positive.
“We’ve finally got an education secretary that is serious and knows their brief. I think that’s welcome.”
However, he said NEU members needed “a pay award this year that is inflation plus so it takes steps to avert the current crisis in recruitment and retention”.
The NEU, which has approximately 445,600 members, will have a “snap poll” in September to allow its members to judge whether the Government’s 2024/25 pay offer is acceptable or not.
Members will have from 21-30 September to decide whether they accept or reject the government’s pay offer. Mr Kebede said a strike ballot would be “dependent on the result of that poll” but it could be “a potential immediate move from 30 September to a formal ballot”.
He said: “[Strikes] are really something we want to avoid. We want to we have a different relationship with government. We want to avoid strike action. I would be incredibly sad if we were having to a formal ballot.”
ASCL has called for a fully funded pay increase that at least keeps pace with RPI inflation over time and begins to address historic pay erosion. Mr Di’Iasio, ASCL’s general secretary, said he has been called to a meeting with Ms Philipson on Thursday, where he hopes to discuss teacher pay.
He told i: “I would hope that that might be one of the things that she wants to talk to us about… In our submission to the STRB in March we called for a fully funded, above inflation pay increase across all pay ranges for September 2024.
“This must be accompanied by a longer-term commitment and funded strategic plan to fully restore the erosion of pay which has taken place since 2010…
“Teaching needs to be financially rewarding in order to be attractive and there are significant recruitment challenges across the profession that need to be addressed at a national level.”
He added: “It is essential that the pay award is fully funded. Many schools are already having to set deficit budgets because they do not have enough funding, and are in the process of implementing cuts to their provision in order to balance their books.
“An unfunded pay award would make matters worse and would inevitably result in deeper cuts having to be made.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The Education Secretary has already begun a reset of the government’s relationship with the sector – which is key to recruiting new teachers and retaining those already in classrooms, and re-establishing teaching as an attractive and expert profession.
“She will be meeting with stakeholders this week and has already met with teaching unions. The Government is currently carefully considering the recommendations of the independent School Teachers’ Review Body.”
