NEU indicative ballet shows strike appetite despite low turnout
The NEU said that 93.7% of members who responded voted to reject the offer and 83.4% said they would be willing to take action to secure an increased pay award.
The National Education Union (NEU) has revealed its members have voted to reject the government’s pay offer of 2.8% for all teachers and leaders in England.
Members also indicated their willingness to take strike action to secure a fully funded, significantly higher pay award to address the crisis in school recruitment and retention.
The preliminary electronic ballot, of serving teacher members who work in state schools in England, ran from 1 March to 11 April.
It asked two questions: Q1: Do you accept or reject the government’s recommendation of an unfunded 2.8 per cent pay rise? Q2: 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 said that 93.7% of members who responded voted to reject the offer and 83.4% said they would be willing to take action to secure an increased pay award.
The overall turnout was 134,487, or 47.2% of those eligible to vote. However, in a formal ballot, unions must achieve a 50% turnout and have 40% of eligible members voting in favour to call legal strike action.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Year upon year of pay cuts against inflation have damaged the competitiveness of teacher pay and coupled with relentless workload, have fuelled a recruitment and retention crisis that is affecting every school in the land.
“Our members know that there needs to be a major pay correction, with teacher pay significantly improved against inflation and other professions, for us to have any hope of filling vacancies in our schools or attracting graduates into teaching. \The government’s response is a 2.8% increase from September which will be below inflation and way behind earnings growth in the wider economy.”
They added: “To add insult to injury, the pay offer is unfunded, with government suggesting “efficiencies” will cover the cost. Our members tell us every day of the desperate state their schools are in due to lack of funding – and this will only make things worse. The government must listen to our profession and change course on teacher pay. And it must recognise the dire state of school funding and invest in education, to give the next generation the best chance possible in life. We call on the government to do the right thing and fund fair pay and invest in our schools.”
The NEU national executive meets next week at the union’s conference in Harrogate to discuss this result and the conference will decide the next steps following the ballot result.