The National Education Union (NEU) has threatened to ballot its members in England on strike action unless the government agrees to an 'inflation-plus' pay rise. In a letter to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, the union's joint general secretaries called for a pay increase above the current 9.1% inflation rate, rejecting the government's proposed 3% rise for most teachers.
The NEU warned that teacher living standards are under threat from double-digit inflation, and that an 'inflation-plus' increase is urgently needed to show educators are valued. The union also highlighted severe recruitment and retention problems, with teacher pay having fallen by a fifth in real terms since 2010, leaving salaries at their lowest relative to average earnings in over 40 years.
The letter stated: 'You must respond to the new economic reality of double-digit inflation and the threat this poses to teacher living standards. We call on you to commit to an inflation-plus increase for all teachers.' The NEU added that excessive workload and pay cuts are intensifying staffing crises, and that the government has failed to take effective action on workload.
The demand follows a similar threat from the NASUWT union, which said it would hold a strike ballot if the government does not deliver pay restoration. Schools await the School Teachers Review Body's annual pay recommendation, with Zahawi having requested a rise in starting salaries to £30,000 but only 2-3% for most teachers, without additional funding.
