Teachers prepare for national industrial action ahead of pay award uncertainty

The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union will its ballot members on national industrial action if the UK government does not deliver pay restoration for its teachers

The ballot will take place across England, Wales and Scotland in November, should the teachers’ pay award for 2022/23 fall short of demands. 

After 12 years of pay erosion, teachers are now facing the biggest squeeze on their living standards for half a century

Energy bills alone have shot up by 54%, but the value of teachers’ pay has slumped by 20%. Now two in three teachers are being forced consider how much longer they can afford to remain in the profession. 

To prevent an unprecedented retention crisis and protect the future of education, the NASUWT believes teachers must receive a 12% pay award this year.

Union members took part in the largest demonstration of working people in a decade last week, marching for a better deal for teachers as part of a national cost of living rally in London. 

NASUWT general secretary, Dr Patrick Roach, said:

“Teachers are suffering, not only from the cost of living crisis, which the whole country is grappling with, but 12 years of real terms pay cuts which has left a 20% shortfall in the value of their salaries. 

“If the government and the pay review body reject a positive programme of restorative pay awards for teachers, then we will be asking our members whether they are prepared to take national industrial action in response.

“Our message is clear and has now been delivered directly to the government on their doorstep. We will not allow cuts to our members’ pay and attacks on their pensions. If a pay rise is not awarded, it will be won by our members in workplaces through industrial action.”