LONDON (Reuters) – The National Education Union expects teachers in England to have voted strongly in favour of rejecting a pay offer from the British government, its head said on Monday, adding that the union was planning two further days of strike action.
The NEU, Britain’s largest education union, had recommended its members decline the offer of a one-off payment this year of 1,000 pounds and an average pay rise of 4.5% in the next financial year, describing it as “insulting”.
Kevin Courtney, joint head of the NEU, told Times Radio he expected a “strong rejection vote”. The result is due to be announced at 0800 GMT.
Tens of thousands of teachers across Britain have taken strike action this year in demand of an above-inflation pay award, leaving classrooms empty and heaping pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to help resolve the dispute.
“We will declare two more days of strike action on April 27 and May 2 this morning,” Courtney said.
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Kate Holton)
