School leaders have voted to reject the government’s pay offer, following in the steps of the NEU teaching union earlier this week.
And the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has said that moving to a formal ballot on industrial action is “an option that will be discussed” next.
After a period of intensive talks, the Department for Education made all four teaching unions the offer of a £1,000 non-consolidated payment for 2022-23 and an average 4.5 per cent rise for 2023-24.
ASCL members have now voted against accepting that offer.
More than half (56 per cent) of eligible members responded, with 87 per cent of those voting “no” and 13 per cent voting “yes” to the offer.
ASCL also asked those voting “no” to state the most significant factor for their response.
Almost seven in 10 (69 per cent) said the most significant factor in their decision was the inadequacy of the additional funding provided to schools for a 4.5 per cent pay award in 2023-24.
Twenty-nine per cent said it was the inadequacy of the pay offer (for 2022-23, 2023-24 or both), and 2 per cent said it was the inadequacy of the other measures.
Just 0.5 per cent of the overall 4.5 per cent pay award for next year, plus the £1,000 one-off payment for this year, will come through new funding.
ASCL’s executive committee will now reconvene shortly after the Easter break to consider next steps in light of this vote.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of ASCL, said: “The government’s pay offer is inadequate in every respect.
“It fails to address long-term pay erosion, the teacher recruitment and retention crisis, or provide enough funding for schools to be able to afford even the meagre pay award that is on the table. Talks with the government were immensely frustrating and it took an eternity to inch towards this lacklustre set of proposals. Ultimately all we could do is put it to members and let them decide. It is no surprise that they have overwhelmingly rejected the offer.”
Mr Barton said the union would now meet with the senior elected members of the executive committee after the Easter break.
“We are aware that there will be speculation about whether we will move to a formal ballot on industrial action, a step we have not yet taken because we have been focused on trying to resolve this situation through negotiation. This is certainly an option that will be discussed but we would emphasise that no decision on this front has been taken in either direction. It would clearly be much better for all concerned if the government responds with an improved pay offer and puts an end to the industrial dispute.”
“The background to this dispute is not only the inadequacy of this year’s pay award but real-terms pay cuts over the past decade which have contributed to a recruitment and retention crisis that has left virtually every school and college in the country struggling with teacher shortages. The education system cannot continue to limp on without its single most important resource - enough teachers. The government must act for the good of staff and children.”
