Teachers slam pay deal as unions unite to fight funding cuts
Pay offer rejected by major teacher unions
The government’s latest pay offer has been firmly turned down by key education unions, including the National Education Union (NEU) and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). The deal proposed a 4.3% pay rise next year, a £1,000 one-off payment this year, and starting salaries rising to £30,000 from September.
Despite a 5% pay rise for most state school teachers in 2022, unions say the current offer is a non-starter. They warn that funding pay rises from already tight school budgets will lead to painful cuts elsewhere.
Strike action looms as NAHT weighs up ballot
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) is now mulling another strike ballot. If they call it, it would be their first strike in over a year. Meanwhile, the NEU has already locked in five strike dates for next term, with three still unconfirmed.
Unions say deal is ‘insulting’ and ‘not properly funded’
Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, slammed the offer as “insulting” and “not properly funded.” He told the BBC that most school budgets simply can’t afford it.
“Members feel insulted,” Whiteman said. “This offer is not affordable in most school budgets.”
Joanne Hall, a head teacher at Merritts Brook Primary in Birmingham, echoed these concerns, warning that funding pay rises from school budgets would force other cuts. She called it a “scary prospect” for head teachers across the country.
Pay won’t fix everything, but unions demand more
The row is about more than money. Unions also highlight workload, recruitment, and retention struggles. The Institute for Fiscal Studies revealed that teacher salaries have dropped by 11% in real terms since 2010.
The government insists the offer is fully funded and backed by over half a billion pounds in new investment aimed at reducing workload and tackling staffing woes.
