As reported by Yahoo News, schools in England could face fresh strike action as early as the autumn term if the Government fails to improve its final pay and funding offer, the leader of the National Education Union (NEU) has warned.
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the NEU – the UK’s largest education union – told reporters that the union is prepared to launch a formal ballot for strike action this summer, depending on the outcomes of two key government decisions.
Speaking at the NEU’s annual conference in Harrogate, delegates voted to press ahead with a strike ballot if the Government’s final response to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) report is deemed “unacceptable,” or if the June spending review fails to deliver real-terms funding increases for schools.
A motion passed by union members described the Government’s proposed 2.8% pay rise from September as “inadequate and unfunded.” It follows a preliminary ballot in which a majority of NEU teacher members in England expressed willingness to take industrial action to secure a fully-funded and significantly higher pay award.
The union’s executive committee will meet after the Government’s announcements to decide the next steps, which could set the stage for widespread disruption in schools later this year.
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