First national teachers’ strike for over 20 years

National Union of Teachers (NUT) members have voted 3:1 in favour of a one day strike on 24 April over teachers’ pay.

The strike is over a proposed 2.45% increase in teachers’ pay this year and 2.3% in following years. The NUT is calling for an increase of at least 4.1% in line with inflation.

Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, commented:

“The consequences of real term pay cuts are familiar to us. They were a feature of the ‘boom and bust’ years before 1997…The NUT wants no return to those bad old days.

“To bring the best young graduates into the profession, teachers’ salaries need to be competitive with those for graduates in the private sector.”

A Times Educational Supplement (TES) poll of 7, 336 teachers in England and Wales found that six out of 10 believed the walkout on April 24 was a good idea. The TES also found that, among members of other teaching unions, which are not striking, 52% said that the walkout was a good idea and 48% disagreed.

First national teachers’ strike for over 20 years

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