The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union will ballot members for
national industrial action if the Government does not deliver pay
restoration for teachers.
The Union will ballot members in England, Wales and Scotland for
industrial action in November should the teachers’ pay award for
2022/23 fall short of demands.
After 12 years of pay erosion, teachers are now facing the
biggest squeeze on their living standards for half a century
Energy bills alone have shot up by 54%, but the value of
teachers’ pay has slumped by 20%. Now two in three teachers are
being forced consider how much longer they can afford to remain
in the profession.
To prevent an unprecedented retention crisis and protect the
future of education, the NASUWT believes teachers must receive a
12% pay award this year.
NASUWT members from across the UK took part in the largest
demonstration of working people in a decade yesterday, marching
for a better deal for teachers as part of a national cost of
living rally in Central London.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary,
said:
“The country faces an existential emergency for the future of the
teaching profession.
“Teachers are suffering, not only from the cost of living crisis,
which the whole country is grappling with, but 12 years of real
terms pay cuts which has left a 20% shortfall in the value of
their salaries.
“If the Government and the pay review body reject a positive
programme of restorative pay awards for teachers, then we will be
asking our members whether they are prepared to take national
industrial action in response.
“The Government wrongly assumed teachers would simply stand by as
they erode pay and strip our education system to the bone. But
this weekend thousands of teachers, from every corner of the UK,
joined together to demonstrate our strength, unity and
determination to stand up and to fight back.
“Our message is clear and has now been delivered directly to the
Government on their doorstep. We will not allow cuts to our
members' pay and attacks on their pensions. If a pay rise is not
awarded, it will be won by our members in workplaces through
industrial action.”
