Teacher union pauses ballot for strike action after government ‘willing to put its money where its mouth is’

Plans to launch a formal ballot for strike action over teacher pay have been paused by the country’s largest education union.

The National Education Union (NEU) had intended to hold a strike vote among its teacher members in England over school funding and pay.

However, the NEU’s national executive decided against proceeding with the ballot next week after the Government announced it would not "claw back" pension contribution savings from schools to help meet the cost of teacher pay increases.

The leader of the NEU described last week’s decision as the "strongest signal yet that the new administration is willing to put its money where its mouth is".

Ministers accepted recommendations from the independent pay review body for teachers in July, agreeing to a 3.5% pay rise from this month, though the Department for Education (DfE) said schools were expected to fund part of the award from existing budgets.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) stated that the Government’s recent decision has effectively increased real-terms funding for schools by around £500 million.

In April, more than nine in 10 (90.5%) NEU members who voted in the union’s indicative ballot said they would be prepared to take industrial action to get more funding for schools.

A formal ballot of NEU teacher members in state schools in England on strike action was due to launch on October 3 and close on December 15.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said: “A pay deal without funding was never viable.

“We have been clear with ministers that their talk of hope and opportunity for young people counted for little without the investment to turn those words into reality.

“This is the strongest signal yet that the new administration is willing to put its money where its mouth is.

“It is my sincere belief that we now have a genuine opportunity on our hands to build on this victory, leverage our success, and make austerity in the classroom a thing of the past.”

But he added: “The NEU is clear schools have been starved of funding for a sustained period and Government must not stop here.

“The £3.3 billion saving from reduced employer contributions to the Teachers’ Pension should also remain in schools rather than be clawed back by the Treasury.

“No ifs or buts – this is education money and in education it must stay.”

In a joint letter to Education Secretary Lucy Powell this week, the NEU and three other unions called on the Government to “enter into discussions on a long-term solution” to school funding and pay cuts.

The letter – from the NAHT school leaders’ union, the Association of School and College Leaders, Community and the NEU – said teachers and school leaders feel the 3.5% pay increase is “not enough”.

A separate letter sent to the Education Secretary this week – from the NASUWT teaching union – also suggested that the 3.5% pay increase for teachers “falls far short”.

It added: “The Treasury must fully fund the improvements in pay and working conditions required to resolve the entrenched recruitment and retention crisis and safeguard our children’s education.”

In a post on X on Thursday, Ms Powell said: “I will always back teachers, support staff, and the whole school workforce so they feel valued, have the support they need and are rewarded and recognised for the amazing work they do.

“Pleased to see the NEU has agreed to stop its ballot for industrial action.

“There’s a lot to do to get our education system working well for every child, so let’s work together to achieve that.”