NEU Teacher Strikes end as members accept government's pay offer — all about it

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

National Education Union (NEU), representing teachers in England, has decided against striking in the autumn term after accepting the government's pay offer. With 86% of its members voting in favor, the UK's largest teaching union agreed to a 6.5% pay rise. Both parties involved in the dispute assured that the pay offer was «properly funded» and would not be deducted from existing school budgets. The acceptance of the offer was deemed «good news» for teachers, parents, and pupils by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan.

Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, disclosed that the pay offer would lead to an average teacher's salary rise of £2,500. While acknowledging that it may not fully meet all expectations, Bousted emphasized the significance of the one-year pay award as a remarkable achievement. The NEU's decision came after facing eight strike days since February, causing numerous school closures. A re-ballot on further strike action saw 95% of members voting in favor, but the NEU ultimately decided against additional strikes following the acceptance of the pay offer.

The NEU was one of four teaching unions demanding above-inflation pay raises for teachers, funded through additional government allocations to safeguard school budgets. While the ASCL union had already accepted the pay offer earlier in July, the decisions of the NAHT and NASUWT unions are yet to be announced.

State school teachers in England received a 5% pay rise for the 2022-23 academic year. The recommended 6.5% rise for 2023-24 was suggested by the School Teachers' Review Body after