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They promised change – but we face continuity austerity

Industrial action Pay and conditions Trade unions Teaching staff Government policy
The National Education Union’s preliminary ballot opens in a month’s time to establish the strength of feeling over the government’s unfunded 2.8% pay offer. Daniel Kebede is in no doubt that it will return a very clear condemnation
Strikes ahead? Despite the change of government, teacher unrest over pay continues after the DfE proposed an unfunded 2.8% pay rise for September 2025 - Adobe Stock

At the general election in July the Labour Party made a commitment to restore public services. Five months later, when the new government announced its intentions on pay for 2025/26, teachers were horrified.

It was a signal that the fight goes on for the status of the profession and the protection of education.

The government’s evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) in England proposed an unfunded 2.8% pay increase for September this year (DfE, 2024).

This in spite of teacher pay being cut by a fifth against inflation since 2010. This in spite of living standards hitting everyone hard. This in spite of teachers having the largest number of unpaid working hours of any profession – and some of the highest workloads (TUC, 2024).

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