UK's largest education union votes to accept 5.5% pay rise offer for teachers from government
30 September 2024, 18:21 | Updated: 30 September 2024, 18:24
Members of the UK's largest teachers' union have voted to accept a 5.5% pay rise from the government.
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In a National Education Union (NEU) snap poll, 95% of members who responded voted to accept the 2024/25 pay offer.
Schools will receive £1.2 billion of additional funding in the 2024/25 financial year to help cover the costs of the increased teacher pay award, according to the NEU.
General secretary Daniel Kebede said: "Our members should be proud of what they have achieved through a hard-fought campaign.
"They have accepted this year's pay deal, but the Government should be in no doubt that we see it as just a first step in the major pay correction needed."
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He continued: "Teacher pay in England was cut by around a quarter in real terms under the Conservatives and is significantly lower than it is in Scotland. This is unsustainable.
"Without a major pay correction to restore the competitiveness of teacher pay, the desire to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis promised by today's Government remit letter to the School Teachers' Review Body will come up short.
"The pay increases are in the interests of pupils and parents too. Teacher shortages and high class sizes damage education. Support staff, further education and sixth form college teachers also need solutions to long-standing problems in pay.
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"The Government must make a commitment to repairing the damage done to teacher pay under the Conservatives.
"This must be done in negotiations with the teacher unions. Reversing pay cuts, alongside tackling sky-high workload, is essential to ensuring that we properly value, recruit and retain teachers."
Last year, NEU members staged eight days of strike action in state schools in England in a pay dispute.
