The threat of strike action still hangs over schools in England after talks between teaching unions and the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, ended with “no concrete progress”, although the door remains open for further discussions.
Union leaders described the meeting as constructive, but with no extra money for teachers on the table, strikes could be just weeks away. Ballots for strike action among hundreds of thousands of union members are due to close this week.
The National Education Union (NEU) said the Department for Education (DfE) had downplayed any suggestion of addressing this year’s below-inflation pay offer, and there had been no promises on improved pay next year.
Nevertheless, leaders of all four of the unions who attended Monday’s meeting have offered to clear their diaries for further talks, in the hope of averting strike action, which would close many state schools and force parents to take time off work.
