Schools face more disruption next term after teachers rejected the government’s pay offer – leading to at least two more strikes.
An overwhelming 98% of National Education Union (NEU) teacher members in England, who responded in a consultative ballot, voted to turn down the deal.
The NEU, which had urged its members to reject the “insulting” offer, plans to hold two further days of teacher strikes on 27 April and 2 May.
The result of the ballot was announced at the start of the NEU’s annual conference in Harrogate.
After a period of intensive talks with unions, the government offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% pay rise for staff next year (2023/24).
Many schools in York and North Yorkshire were forced to partially or fully close during strikes staged by the NEU in February and March as a result of a dispute over pay.
Last week, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan suggested that teachers could miss out on an increased pay deal this year if they rejected the offer.
Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said: “This resounding rejection of the Government’s offer should leave 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 judgment and understanding of the desperate situation in the education system.
“We have today written to the Education Secretary informing her of the next two days of strike action on April 27 and May 2 that NEU teacher members in England will now be taking.
“These strikes are more than three weeks away; Gillian Keegan can avoid them.”
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