England's largest teaching union, the National Education Union (NEU), has announced plans to ballot members for strike action if the government maintains its 2.8% pay offer for the 2025-26 academic year. The union's executive agreed to launch a formal ballot if the pay offer remains unacceptable or if the government does not provide real-terms funding increases.
The announcement does not mean immediate walkouts. The NEU must first reject the final government decision on pay, including any additional funding. A formal ballot would take several months, meaning any strikes would likely occur in the autumn term at the earliest. Last week, an informal ballot showed 93.7% of members rejected the offer, with 83.4% willing to strike, on a 47.2% turnout.
NEU members previously struck in 2023 over pay, forcing many school closures across eight days. The action was called off after the government revised its offer to 6.5%. In December, the government recommended a 2.8% rise for 2025. Unions have argued that the 5.5% increase in 2024 must be the first in a series of fully funded, above-inflation rises to address a recruitment and retention crisis caused by falling real-terms pay since 2010 and excessive workload.
Unions also want the government to fund the pay rise so schools do not have to absorb costs from existing budgets. Currently, the government expects most schools to make efficiencies to afford the increase. The independent School Teachers Review Body will hear submissions and make recommendations before the government decides.
In other UK nations, Welsh teachers received a 5.5% rise in line with England, while Scottish unions accepted 4.27% for 2024-25. Northern Ireland teachers averted a strike after accepting a revised 5.5% deal with workload commitments. In England, schools are advised to remain open where possible during strikes, with priority for vulnerable pupils and exam students. Parents may only be informed of closures on the morning of action.
