The National Educational Union (NEU) consultative ballot on the Government’s pay offer has been rejected by an overwhelming 98 per cent of NEU teacher members in England on a turnout of 66 per cent.
191,319 serving teachers in state schools in England have voted to reject Gillian Keegan’s offer in less than six days.
Would represent another two years of real-terms pay cuts
It is not surprising that the offer has been rejected. The offer was not fully funded and would have meant teachers in England would see their pay fall even further behind their counterparts in Wales and Scotland and it would represent another two years of real-terms pay cuts.
It would do nothing to reverse the problems of recruitment and retention in schools.
Shreeve: Resounding rejection of the Government’s offer
Commenting on the result, Islander Peter Shreeve, the Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union said,
“On hearing this resounding rejection of the Government’s offer this morning at the NEU annual national conference in Harrogate, we were somewhat taken aback at the numbers, who voted and the overwhelming rejection. This should leave the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan in no doubt that the onus is on her to come back to the negotiating table with a much better proposal to solve this desperate situation in the education system. It cannot be allowed to worsen and must be improved.
“The Joint General Secretaries have today written to the education secretary informing her of the next two days of strike action on 27th April and 2nd May that NEU teacher members in England will now be taking.
“These strikes are more than three weeks away; Gillian Keegan can avoid them.
“No teacher on the Isle of Wight or on the mainland want to be on strike. To accept this offer would ensure nothing happens to address the decades of below inflation pay increases making them the worst paid teachers in the UK. Neither will this offer do anything to stem the teacher recruitment and retention crisis which is so damaging to learners, staff and our society as a whole.”
NEU: “Gillian Keegan needs to start negotiations with respect”
Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education, said,
“The education secretary has united the profession in its outrage at this insulting pay offer. It is now for her to rectify that situation by starting to value education. The NEU is ready as we have stated all along to negotiate with ministers, but this time we hope a lesson has been learnt. Gillian Keegan needs to start negotiations with respect for the profession she is supposedly representing in Government.
“To parents we say that we have no wish to disrupt education, indeed our action is aimed at getting the Government to invest in the education of this generation of children and the people who teach them.
“We are asking our school reps to plan with head teachers to ensure that year 11 and year 13 students have a full programme of education on the upcoming strike days.”
Article edit
1.50pm 3rd Apr 2023 – ‘Voting’ added to headline
News shared by Peter in his own words. Ed
Image: © NEU
