A major teaching union has criticised ministers’ “insulting” new pay offer, raising the prospect of further walkouts in schools this spring.
The National Education Union said the offer of a 4.3% rise for most teachers plus a £1,000 one-off payment for the 2023-24 year was not enough and it will recommend that its members reject the deal.
Talks between the government and four teaching unions ended on Monday with the unions considering the offer from the Department for Education.
However, the NEU said the government was only offering to fund half a percentage point of the pay increase, with the rest expected to come out of existing school budgets.
Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said it does not match the offer in Scotland and Wales or address the crisis in teacher recruitment.
“This is an insulting offer from a government which simply does not value teachers,” they said.
