‘No sense of progress’ after talks says teachers' union chief ahead of crunch strike ballot results this week
9 January 2023, 15:14
A teachers' union chief has said there is ‘no sense of progress’ after talks with the education secretary, ahead of crunch strike ballot results this week.
Teachers' unions met with education secretary with Gillian Keegan ahead of the strike vote results this week.
It is understood the National Education Union is planning several days of industrial action from the beginning of February to the mid-March.
Kevin Courtney, a joint general secretary of the union, sounded cautiously optimistic following the talks.
"We've met with the secretary of state for an hour - there is a suggestion of further discussions," he said.
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"We've offered to clear our diaries this week for those further discussions, further discussions about what their evidence to the [School Teacher's Review Board] might be for next year.
"And we were pressing for some discussion about pay this year as well."
The union chief said he believed the summit wouldn't be happening without the prospect of industrial action.
He added the union would continue to engage, but there was "no sense of concrete progress" as yet.
The NEU, which represents the majority of educational professionals and teachers in the UK, is seeking a 12 percent pay rise rather than the Government's offer of 5 percent for most teachers.
It says that since 2010, teachers’ pay has dropped by about 24 per cent relative to inflation.
Two other teaching unions are also balloting this week but Mr Courtney said it was likely the NEU result would be close.
Speaking to The Observer he said, ‘I think we are going to pass the threshold but there is a chance we won’t.’
The union chief said if the vote passes: ‘We will call on members in all schools in England and Wales to strike – many would have to close.’
Gillian Keegan said she hoped the anti-strike laws proposed by the government wouldn't be applied to schools, telling The Sunday Times: ‘We are definitely not trying to be antagonistic.’
Teachers in Scotland are set to walkout later this week.
