Teachers' strikes: When, where and why? (2024)

NASUWT members are taking action short of a strike at schools in England, the union says.

The four teaching unions in a dispute with the government over pay, earlier this year, accepted an offer in July.

But the NASUWT said it would continue its campaign for better pay, as well as action over excessive workloads and working hours.

No more full strikes are planned, after the largest teaching union, the National Education Union (NEU), as well as the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), and NASUWT accepted the government's 6.5% pay rise, in July.

But when it announced its decision, the NASUWT said it would continue its campaign over pay, workloads and working hours, including taking action "up to and including industrial action".Members had already voted for strike action and action short of a strike before the union accepted the government's pay offer.The union has now told members to begin working to rule - limiting their working time by following their exact working hours - from Monday, 18 September.

Staff at about 10,000 schools could be involved, it says.

Members of the NASUWT in sixth-form colleges have accepted a pay deal.

Teachers in Northern Ireland have also been taking action short of a strike since October 2022.

The pay dispute has been resolved in Scotland and for NAHT members in Wales.

In the event of a teachers' strike, schools in England should open if possible, the government says.

Teachers do not have to declare in advance if they intend to strike, and there are no rules about when parents must be told about school closures.

Head teachers take a decision on whether to shut schools. Some parents may only be told about a closure on the morning of industrial action, once staff numbers are known.

There are currently no minimum staffing rules. Head teachers can use agency staff or volunteers, who do not have to follow the curriculum.

In England, you can ask for leave to care for "family and dependants", including emergency childcare.

Your employer must not refuse a reasonable request, but you may not be paid. Alternatively you may be able to take holiday or unpaid parental leave.

Schools have been asked to prioritise vulnerable pupils and key workers' children. They are also asked to try to prevent, or reduce, any disruption to exams and other formal assessments.

The NEU issued guidance to support arrangements for head teachers to "provide the minimum level of teaching staff needed" on strike days so students who had exams coming up could attend school.

England

Teachers from the four unions had been calling for an above-inflation pay rise, plus extra money to ensure any increase does not come from existing budgets.

Most state school teachers in England had a 5% pay rise for the year 2022-23.

After intensive talks, the government offered an additional one-off payment of £1,000. It also increased the offer for most teachers in 2023-24 to 4.3%, with starting salaries reaching £30,000.

The DfE described it as a "fair and reasonable offer", and said schools would receive an extra £2.3bn over the next two years.

All four unions rejected the deal, and the £1,000 payment was taken off the table.

But then, the independent pay review body submitted its recommendation, of 6.5% for next year's pay award, to the government.

And the joint statement issued in mid-July said a 6.5% rise would "allow teachers and school leaders to call off strike action".

The government will also provide a hardship fund of up to £40m to support those schools facing the greatest financial challenges.

Northern Ireland

There has been no pay deal for teachers in Northern Ireland since 2021.

Then, unions rejected an offer of about 3.2% spread over two years from 2021-23, arguing many teachers would receive less than that.

They have since asked for a pay increase of 6% for 2021-22, and a rise of inflation plus 2% for 2022-23.

The NAHT, the NASUWT, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, the Ulster Teachers' Union and the NEU are taking part in strike action.

A half-day strike on 30 November will be followed by a further four days of industrial action after Christmas.

Members of the NASUWT union who work in further education colleges and school leaders from the NAHT joined the strikes for the first time in the current dispute.

It was the first time in its 125-year history that NAHT members had taken strike action over pay.

Teachers in Northern Ireland have also been taking action short of a strike since October 2022, which includes refusing to provide lunchtime supervision or to attend meetings held outside working hours.

Wales

The NAHT in Wales rejected this initial offer. The union said funding arrangements remained a major concern for school leaders and began action short of a strike from 1 February.

This long-running action ended on Friday, 17 November, after NAHT members accepted a new workload agreement along with an improved pay offer and additional funding.

Scotland

Classroom teachers were paid an average of £38,982 in the 2021-22 school year in England, £39,009 in Wales and £40,026 in Scotland. Northern Ireland did not provide a figure.

The average head teacher salary in England for the same period was £74,095, and £57,117 for other senior leaders.

Experts advise ministers about teacher pay, based on factors such as vacancy rates and subject shortages.

As with all public spending, money allocated in England is awarded proportionately to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Employers also contribute 23.68% to teacher pensions. Nurses, by comparison, receive 14.38%.