After days of intensive negotiation, the education unions ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT and NEU have been presented with a pay offer by the education Secretary.
This amounts to a £1000 one-off cash payment for the present school year (2022/23) and a 4.3% consolidated pay rise for most teachers for next year (2023/24). The Government claims this is fully funded but NEU analysis suggests that between 2 in 5 (42%) and 3 in 5 (58%) of schools would have to make cuts next year to afford it.
Following discussion by the National Executive Committee on Saturday 25 March, the NEU will put this offer to its members, recommending rejection. The ballot opens today and closes on Sunday 2 April.
Commenting on the pay offer, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education Union, said:
“This is an insulting offer from a Government which simply does not value teachers.
