Unions have demanded clarity on the government’s position on teacher strikes after the prime minister said his “door is always open”, but his education secretary rejected calls for fresh pay talks.
Ministers and unions are once again locked in a stalemate over pay, after all four unions representing teachers and leaders rejected an offer of a £1,000 one-off payment this year and 4.3 per cent rise for most teachers in 2023-24.
The government had warned its pay offer was final, and that it would revert to the School Teachers’ Review Body process as normal if it was rejected.
Rishi Sunak appeared to strike a more conciliatory note as he took questions at a school in north London this morning. “Our door is always open, and we continue to hope that we can find a way through,” he said.
