Members of the largest teaching union in the UK have expressed their readiness to resort to industrial action in pursuit of increased funding for schools. According to an indicative ballot conducted by the National Education Union (NEU), over 90% of participating members indicated their willingness to take such action.
However, the voter turnout among eligible teacher members was below 50%, with less than half casting their votes. NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede emphasized the members’ resolve to defend education against what they perceive as government attacks.
The NEU initiated the ballot on February 28, seeking input from members on the possibility of striking over teacher pay, workload, and school funding. Criticism has been directed at the Department for Education’s recommendation of a 6.5% pay increase for teachers over the next three years.
In response to the ballot’s two questions about rejecting the pay rise proposal and supporting industrial action for workload reduction and increased funding, a vast majority of teachers voiced their opposition to the DfE’s pay rise suggestion.
The NEU’s national executive is scheduled to convene next month to determine the next course of action. Additionally, support staff members participated in a similar indicative ballot, with over 85% indicating their readiness for industrial action amidst concerns over funding, workload, and job redundancies.
Kebede highlighted the strain on schools due to prolonged funding cuts and heightened workload, leading to challenges in retaining teaching assistants and subject specialists. He emphasized the urgent need for additional resources to prevent further cuts that could negatively impact children’s education.
Warning of the diminishing hope among teachers in the Labour Party, Kebede affirmed the NEU’s commitment to national strike action if necessary to safeguard school funding. Similar sentiments were echoed at the NASUWT’s annual conference, where delegates supported a motion calling for a national strike ballot to address funding inadequacies and reduce teacher workload.
Recent pay increases for teachers include a 4% raise for the academic year 2025/26, following earlier increases of 5.5% in 2024/25 and 6.5% in 2023/34 after previous strike actions led by the NEU.