Anger among teachers in England over pay and school funding is hardening after what union leaders hailed as an “unprecedented” rejection of the government’s latest offer.
Nearly 200,000 National Education Union members voted by 98% to 2% to reject the government’s offer of a £1,000 one-off payment and a 4.5% pay rise next year.
It was the highest rate of opposition in the union’s recent history, higher even than the 90% vote in favour of strike action in the NEU’s formal ballot in January.
After the result was announced, delegates at the NEU’s annual conference in Harrogate taunted the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, chanting: “Come on Gill, pay the bill.”
Kevin Courtney, the NEU’s joint general secretary, said: “The strength of this vote is completely unprecedented for a teaching union in the UK in modern times. There was anger in September, when the NEU’s campaign began, but I think this vote shows a step change to fury. It reflects a determination among teachers that things cannot go on as they are.
