Members of the largest education union have voted overwhelmingly to reject the government’s pay offer, meaning that its dispute with the Department for Education continues.
As a result, two new national strikes will go ahead on 27 April and 2 May, Tes understands.
In the ballot, 191,319 serving teachers in state schools in England voted to reject education secretary Gillian Keegan’s offer, less than six days after it was made.
More than 195,000 NEU members voted - a turnout of 66 per cent.
After a period of intensive talks, the DfE 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.
Last week, the NEU urged its members to reject the pay offer from the government to show the DfE that members “will no longer put up with their treatment of the profession”.
The union is demanding a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise for teachers and support staff.
However, just 0.5 per cent of the overall 4.5 per cent pay award for next year will come through new funding, plus the £1,000 one-off payment for this year.
As well as concerns over the details of the deal, last week also saw controversy over whether schools could afford the new pay offer.
Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said: “This resounding rejection of the government’s offer should leave [education secretary] Gillian Keegan in no doubt that she will need to come back to the negotiating table with a much better proposal.
“The offer shows an astounding lack of judgement and understanding of the desperate situation in the education system.”
They have today written to Ms Keegan informing her of the next two days of strike action on 27 April and 2 May.
However, the strikes could be avoided, the general secretaries added.
They are asking secondary school union reps to plan with headteachers to ensure that Year 11 and Year 13 students “have a full programme of education on the upcoming strike days”, they said.
Responding to the NEU ballot result, Gillian Keegan said: “After costing children almost a week of time in the classroom and with exams fast approaching, it is extremely disappointing that the NEU have called more strike action.
Following a week “negotiating in good faith”, the government offer came with a commitment to “significantly cut workload” and a headline pay increase next year that was “above both inflation and average earnings growth”, she added.
“Pay will now be decided by the independent pay review body, which will recommend pay rises for next year,” she said.
The NASUWT teaching union is not recommending that its members accept the pay offer, as it “falls short of what the union has demanded from the government both for pay restoration and on non-pay improvements”.
The union has sent out a survey to members asking whether they would accept or reject the offer.
The NASUWT is also asking members what they would be willing to do to obtain a fair pay offer, with options including strike action and action short of strike action.
The results of the survey are expected to be announced later this week.
School leaders’ union the NAHT has said that, if its members reject the government’s “inadequate” teacher pay offer, “it is clear that industrial action will be necessary”.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said last week that the union’s national executive committee did not believe that sufficient funding is being made available “to meet even this inadequate offer”.
A survey is also being completed by members on whether to accept or reject the pay offer.
The Association of School and College Leaders has also surveyed members, with results expected to be announced this week.
