The National Education Union (NEU) has today (Saturday) launched
a preliminary electronic ballot on the need for a fully funded
pay award that takes steps to address the crisis in recruitment
and retention. Around 284,000 teacher members working in
maintained schools across England will be consulted over the
government's recommendation to the School Teachers' Review Body
of an unfunded pay rise of 2.8 per cent for teachers in 2025/26.
A 2.8 per cent increase is likely to be below inflation and would
do nothing to repair the damage to the competitive position of
teacher pay against other graduate professions. Teachers face
another pay cut. The already critical recruitment and retention
problems damaging our education service will get even worse.
The pay recommendation is unfunded. The government has proposed
that schools can pay for it by making 'efficiencies' elsewhere in
their budget. The reality, as every teacher knows, is that
schools have endured 14 years of school cuts under the
Conservatives. Chancellor has not given schools what
they need. Research shows that 76 per cent of primaries and 94
per cent of secondaries will be forced to make cuts, not only to
balance the books but to meet this pay award.
The preliminary electronic ballot opens on 1 March and closes on
11 April. It will ask teachers and leaders in state-funded
schools in England the following two questions:
- Do you accept or reject the
government's recommendation of an unfunded 2.8 per cent pay rise?
- Are you willing to take strike
action to secure a fully funded, significantly higher pay award
that takes steps to address the crisis in recruitment and
retention?
The NEU's national executive has recommended YES to both
questions.
Commenting on the launch of the indicative ballot, Daniel
Kebede, general secretary of the National Education
Union, said:
"We all know that an unfunded 2.8 per cent pay award is
unacceptable. It will deepen the chronic recruitment and
retention crisis in our schools, and means more cuts for already
struggling schools. Pay has fallen by around a fifth against
inflation since 2010, pushing education into the worst crisis in
decades. More schools are in deficit now than at any point since
2010. Class sizes are the largest on record.
"Our members do not want to strike but ignoring the profession
and backing educators into a corner means we will be left with no
choice. The government was elected in the hope it would value
education, but a 2.8 per cent pay award without funding does the
opposite. Like the Conservatives before them, they are forcing
schools to make more cuts.
"It is short-sighted, it is wrong, and teachers will not stand
for it. There is time yet for and her colleagues to think
again and deliver for teachers, children, and our schools."
