Dear colleague

We are facing the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. Energy bills are soaring, inflation is at a forty-year high and things look set to get even worse.

Government has not valued education and those that work within it.

Real terms pay cuts over the past decade has meant, many teacher salaries have declined by a staggering 20 per cent.

Long hours and poor pay mean education professionals are leaving the profession in their droves.

One in eight teachers leave after just a year in the job and a staggering one in three leave within five years.

There hasn’t been a teachers’ strike over pay since 2008. Educators don’t want to strike – we want to be in the classroom teaching our pupils.

But we just can’t stand by and watch the biggest real terms decline in teachers’ pay this century.

If we do, the problems with teacher recruitment and retention will just keep getting bigger, damaging your children’s education.

We will keep talking to the Government, but it must offer a serious solution to a serious problem.

Educators need a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise. And we need it now.

Next steps – together we can win

We are asking ALL members to vote in their appropriate postal ballot, the dates are below:

• Further Education: 7 October - 20 October
• Sixth form colleges (Teachers): 17 October- 7 November
• Teachers (England and Wales): 31 October - 13 January
• Support staff (England, Wales and Northern Ireland): 31 October - 13 January

Use our materials above and hold a school meeting to discuss the issue and elect a rep if your school doesn’t have one.

Recruit any non-union members to the NEU – especially new starters.

We must reach 50% of all those eligible in each ballot voting and 40% of those voting yes to take legal strike action to win, please ask all your colleagues to vote YES to taking action.

Yours sincerely