Teacher strikes will go ahead if no pay progress

Teacher strikes volition spell up adjacent week unless determination is "real progress" successful talks implicit wage earlier Saturday, the National Education Union (NEU) says.

The NEU said it would urge calling disconnected strikes to its enforcement committee connected Saturday - but lone if a "serious proposal" had been made by ministers.

The government, meanwhile, said it would lone clasp ceremonial talks if the strikes were called off.

Teachers are owed to locomotion retired crossed the northbound of England adjacent Tuesday.

Strikes volition travel successful the Midlands and the NEU's eastbound portion connected Wednesday, past successful Wales and the southbound of England connected Thursday.

The NEU's announcement, enactment successful penning to ministers, comes aft the authorities projected a 3% wage emergence for astir teachers adjacent year.

Most authorities schoolhouse teachers successful England and Wales had a 5% emergence successful 2022.

The NEU, which is calling for an above-inflation wage rise, said the latest connection was not enough.

On Tuesday, the Department for Education (DfE) said it was consenting to "move into ceremonial talks connected pay, conditions and reform" - but lone if the NEU called disconnected adjacent week's onslaught action.

In response, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, associated wide secretaries of the NEU, said ministers were "requiring the NEU to springiness up the lone happening that has brought authorities to the negotiating table, without immoderate assurance that the negotiations are, indeed, superior and successful bully faith".

"We are prepared, should the negotiations marque existent progress, to intermission adjacent week's strikes," they said.

"But the authorities has to amusement bully faith. We inquire ministers to driblet its preconditions and to statesman superior negotiations."

The NAHT schoolhouse leaders' national called the government's announcement connected Tuesday an "olive subdivision with thorns attached" and said it had "no knowing of however to behaviour bully concern relations".