TEACHERS are striking today and have announced further strike dates due to the government’s ‘failure to resolve a clear pay discrepancy’ between staff in sixth form colleges and schools, says the the National Education Union (NEU).
More than 2,000 NEU members walk out today, marking the second strike day following last Thursday’s strike and march on Parliament.
The industrial action originates from the summer announcement that schools and academised sixth form colleges would receive £1.2 billion to fund a 5.5 per cent pay rise for 2024/25, but no funding for pay was announced for standalone sixth form colleges and further education colleges.
Unless ministers come to an agreement to extend the funding to non-academised sixth form teachers, the union will strike on the following days:
- December 3rd (previously announced);
- December 4th (previously announced);
- December 13;
- January 7th
- January 8th
- January 9th.
Last month, 32 of the 39 sixth form colleges voted in favour of strike action, achieving 97 per cent of the ballot vote.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said yesterday: ‘Thursday’s strike action should have been a wake up call to Department for Education (DfE) ministers that the NEU will not back down on this issue.
‘The responsibility for these strikes lies with government not teachers. No teacher wants to be taking strike action. They want to be in classrooms doing what they do best: teaching.
‘We remain as always willing to resolve this dispute with government. However, in the face of yet more silence our members will continue with their action.
‘Government needs to recognise this absurd situation needs to end and that they must quickly address this inexcusable pay divide.
‘Let there be no doubt the strike action will continue into the new year unless sense prevails, and our members are given the pay they deserve.’
