The National Education Union are threatening to strike at the beginning of Term 1 in a move that is long overdue.
Dr Mary Bousted told the BBC that members of NEU have suffered a real-world drop in wages of 20% since 2010, and this, combined with large number of unpaid overtime hours worked, have left them feeling undervalued.
She says: “We’re going to be writing to Nadhim Zahawi on Wednesday as the inflation figures come out then,” she told Radio 4’s Today programme. We need at least a pay rise that matches inflation, and we also need to start recovering teachers’ pay since the long, long squeeze began in 2010. It’s been kept artificially low.”
She added: “”If union members indicate they want to take strike action, then we’ll move to a formal ballot, so the secretary of state has some time to respond to the crisis that teachers are facing in terms of their standard of living. They have some time to get into negotiations with us and to see what they can do to avert any strike, which is the last thing our members want to do.”
THOUGHTS: I’m surprised this has not happened sooner. For years, teachers have been paid a criminally low wage to work hours expected of C-level jobs in international companies. Furthermore, the substantial workload is not reflected in the salary. Teachers are expected to perform many job roles, yet the pay does not reflect this.
For too long, teachers have accepted a pittance of a pay packet where their base rate barely scrapes minimum wage. It’s about time teachers stood up and took action against the current pay and working conditions in the education sector.