Formal ballot for strike action
The national executive decided that a formal ballot of teacher members in state-funded schools in England would open on 3 October until 15 December.
The decision followed the government’s acceptance of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recommendation of a 3.5 per cent increase in September 2026, followed by a 3 per cent increase in September 2027.
Since then, following a change of leadership in the Labour party, the new education secretary Lucy Powell has confirmed that this year’s teacher pay award will be fully funded at a national level.
NEU pressure from our Save Education campaign resulted in the government shifting ground, from an unfunded teacher pay award, to a partially funded one that handed schools a £460m bill, to the recent confirmation of an additional £500m from savings in employer pension contributions to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
Additionally, the government has decided, at least for the time being, to retain the limit of 1,265 hours when teachers can be directed to work in school.
However, with inflation likely to rise, this pay award will do nothing to reverse the teacher pay cuts against inflation of some 20 per cent since 2010.
Ther snap poll of NEU members we conducted following the partially funded pay announcement showed strong support for strike action on pay and funding.
The national executive is due to meet again on Thursday 24 September to discuss our response to the government’s latest offer.
As we’ve shown before, the only way to improve things is if we work together, stand up collectively and show this government we won't sit back while our schools are starved of the funds they need.
Your role, as an NEU rep, officer, Save Education Volunteer or activist is pivotal and the work of building the ballot starts now.
Click the buttons to access resources to help you build for the ballot in your school or local area.
In solidarity.
Daniel
Formal ballot for strike action
The national executive has decided that a formal ballot of members will open on 3 October and close on 15 December.
The Government has accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recommendation pf a 3.5 per cent increase in September 2026, followed by a 3 per cent increase in September 2027.
NEU pressure from our Save Education campaign, notably our national indicative ballot on pay, funding and workload, has resulted in the government shifting ground, from an unfunded to partially funded pay offer, and to an offer of 6.5 per cent over two years rather than three.
Additionally, the government has decided, at least for the time being, to retain the limit of 1,265 hours when teachers can be directed to work in school.
However, with inflation likely to rise, this pay award will do nothing to reverse the teacher pay cuts against inflation of some 20 per cent since 2010.
Furthermore, the government expects schools to find ‘efficiencies’ in their budgets to cover 1.1 per cent of the pay offer for 2026/27, which amounts to £460 million. This will only exacerbate the school funding crisis.
Our snap poll of NEU members, conducted following the pay announcement, showed strong support for strike action on pay and funding.
The only way to improve things is if we work together, stand up collectively and show this government we won't sit back while our schools are starved of the funds they need.
Therefore, we will be opening a formal strike ballot of members on the 3 October, closing on the 15 December.
Your role, as an NEU rep, officer, Save Education Volunteer or activist is pivotal and the work of building the ballot starts now.
Click the buttons to access resources to help you build for the ballot in your school or local area.
In solidarity.
Daniel
Formal ballot for strike action
The national executive has decided that a formal ballot of members will open on 3 October and close on 15 December.
Teachers’ pay ballot opens 28 February.
Closes XXXX.