Bolton: NEU members accept pay rise from Government

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) have accepted a 6.5 per cent pay rise for teachers in England and voted to end strikes.

The union has said 86 per cent of its teacher members in England who took part in an electronic ballot voted to accept the progress made in the pay dispute and call off industrial action, with a 60 per cent turnout.

It comes after teacher members of the NEU staged eight days of strike action in state schools in England since February, in a dispute over pay and conditions.

NEU members have voted to accept the pay rise (Image: Public)

Bolton teacher and NEU member Robert Poole said: "We are happy that we are finally being vindicated in our demands for more pay and funding which is crucial to education.

"The fact that they weren't offering it in the past, it is disappointing it took this level of strike action to get to this point.

"What we need to ensure now is that we continue to push for the longer term aims of the union going forward.

"We will continue to build on the unity with other education unions and our long term aim has to be pay restoration and longer term bargaining rights."

He added: "The NEU has brought hundreds of thousands of members out to fight for our rights, it is a massive win against the Government, which has been devastating our public services.

Another picket from earlier this month (Image: Public)

"Radical overhaul is needed, we have an election next year and hopefully this will send a message to whichever government comes in - we are willing to fight for it."

Four education unions had been considering further walkouts in the autumn term, but their general secretaries recommended members accept the 6.5 per cent pay rise for teachers in England offered earlier this month.

In a re-ballot of NEU teacher members in England on strike action, which opened in May before the pay offer was made, 95 per cent supported renewing the union’s strike mandate for a further six months, with a turnout of 53 per cent.

The Government has said the 6.5 per cent pay award for teachers will be “fully funded”, with £525 million of additional funding for schools in 2023-24 and a further £900 million in 2024-25.

Joint NEU general secretaries Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney said: “As a democratic union, the NEU leadership promised members that any pay and funding offer given by Government that warranted their consideration would be put to them. Members have spoken very clearly and in great numbers.

“The NEU submissions to the STRB went a long way towards changing the Government’s position on pay and funding. The strike action taken by our members also shifted the dial, securing the highest pay award for over thirty years. Members should be proud they have also secured extra funding for schools.”