Arabic version: المعلمون في إنجلترا يستعدون لإضراب محتمل بسبب نزاع الأجور

Teachers and school support staff in England will vote on whether or not to go on strike if the government stands by its pay recommendation for the next academic year. According to BBC News, the National Education Union (NEU), England’s largest teaching union, says it will hold a formal ballot in the autumn if the government “does not take urgent action”.

The government has recommended a 6.5% pay award spread over the next three years, but the NEU has said that is unlikely to match inflation and called it an “insult”. The Department for Education said the NEU’s announcement was “extremely disappointing”, saying it would be children and parents that “pay the price” for any strike action.

NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede highlighted that the ongoing pay and workload issues have led to a recruitment and retention crisis within the education sector. He stated that the government’s unfunded pay increases are insufficient and urged for a properly funded education system to support both teachers and students.

The Department for Education has indicated that it has taken steps to enhance the teaching profession, including addressing issues related to workload and student behavior. However, the NEU argues that the current pay proposal will not prevent redundancies or alleviate rising workloads in schools.

An earlier indicative ballot showed that a significant majority of NEU members are willing to strike over pay, with 90.5% supporting industrial action. Teachers previously went on strike in the first half of 2023, leading to school closures on eight days of action, before the government revised its pay offer to 6.5%. Teachers received a 5.5% rise in 2024 and a 4% increase in 2025, but concerns about future pay remain prevalent.