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DfE agrees to weekly union meetings, but NUT strike is still on

Teachers’ leaders gave a mixed response after long sought-after talks took place between education unions and the Department for Education (DfE) last week.

The meeting happened on Tuesday, February 25, and it has now been agreed that a series of weekly meetings will be held, possibly continuing until after Easter.

While the meeting involved all the main education unions, the spotlight was on relations between the DfE and the NASUWT and National Union of Teachers (NUT) – the two unions currently engaged in a campaign of joint industrial action in protest at changes to teachers’ pay and conditions and pensions, including performance-related pay.

Mr Gove did not attend the meeting, which took place instead between DfE civil servants and the unions. His decision to allow it to go ahead led to the NASUWT pledging not to take strike action this term.

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