Education unions have invited the government for talks facilitated by an official mediator in a bid to end the current stalemate over pay, but say their offer has been “ignored”.
The National Education Union, NAHT headteachers’ union, NASUWT teaching union and ASCL school leaders’ union said they had proposed talks conducted by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, a non-departmental public body which provides dispute-resolution services.
They wrote to education secretary Gillian Keegan on Monday with the offer, warning children, members and government needed to see an end to the “current impasse over industrial action that is preventing us all from making any progress”.
As they are “yet to receive a formal reply to the letter”, the unions said they could “only conclude that the failure to reply to such a reasonable and urgent request means it has been declined”.
