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Pay campaign

Our campaign for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise for teachers and support staff, and effective action on pay for supply and other educators.

The union has written to Gillian Keegan urging her to urgently publish her remit to the teacher pay review body (STRB) and for this to include the critical issue of restoring pay lost in real terms since 2010.

Pay implementation at your school

In July, NEU members voted overwhelmingly to accept the offer.

NEU members’ strike action forced the Government to improve its 2023-24 pay offer to teachers by 3 per cent, to 6.5 per cent, and commit an extra £900 million to properly fund the teacher pay offer and protect support staff jobs.

Over the coming year, the NEU will continue to campaign for a properly funded correction in teacher pay to reverse the real-terms cuts imposed since 2010 and for further improvements in education funding to restore the percentage of GDP devoted to education to at least the 5 per cent OECD average.

Our priority this term, is to ensure that the national pay award is implemented in full at every school, so that every teacher receives their cost-of-living rise and all eligible teachers receive pay progression.

Act now to win on pay in your workplace

We urge all reps to organise a meeting of members using our presentation slides  to discuss securing the implementation of the national pay awards won through our strike action. Use this opportunity to discuss any other pay issues at your school including pay progression, pay portability and payment for additional responsibilities.

  1. Collectively identify pay issues and utilise our model letter. Let your branch know what the issues are at your school using NEU Activate.
  2. Raise issues with your head/chair or governors as appropriate.
  3. Bring members back together to discuss your head’s response. Update NEU Activate with any outstanding issues (we will send you regular emails and texts with a link to your Activate action).
  4. Collectively decide your next steps together e.g. send a letter to your governors or ask your branch for support or for a ballot.
  5. If you need any further support, contact your branch secretary.

Right now, let’s focus on making sure your hard-won pay rise is fully implemented and properly funded by every school.

Our members have accepted the Government’s pay and funding offer

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Joint union response to consultation on STRB Report

The unions have jointly called on the Government to drop its attacks on teacher pay and follow the 6.5% increase for teachers in England with urgent steps to repair the damage to our members’ pay and prospects.  The unions are united in calling for a properly funded major correction in teacher pay and urgent improvements in workload and working conditions.  

The unions have also sent a separate joint statement on PRP to Gillian Keegan calling for the immediate removal of performance-related pay (PRP) and for a fair national pay structure to support recruitment and retention.  The joint responses underline the isolation of the Government on the key issues and the need for it to reverse course.

The NEU has also sent a separate response on the STRB report to the consultation setting out the action needed on a range of specific pay issues, reflecting NEU members’ concerns.

Joint union statement and NEU evidence to STRB

We have provided strong evidence that a fully funded above-inflation pay increase is needed but this Government has not listened. The joint union statement to the STRB sets out the united view of the unions on the key evidence. 

The NEU evidence to the STRB and NEU supplementary evidence sets out the detailed evidence supporting our case for urgent improvements in teacher pay and workload. 

The latest NEU teachers pay and progression report shows the impact on teachers of the unfair pay system including performance-related pay.  The evidence is clear and the Government must listen.  

Now, we need to act together, as a profession, to make it see sense.

Teachers evidence to STRB

NEU members have taken a leading role in this year’s oral evidence to the STRB.  Members attended the oral evidence session to give direct testimony to the STRB on the real lived experiences of teachers on the key issues of pay, workload, teacher shortages, excessive accountability, and inadequate funding.

They gave the STRB examples of schools unable to recruit, experienced teachers unable to afford a mortgage and having to take second jobs, sky-high workload driven by funding shortages, the devastating impact of pay cuts and high workload on teacher wellbeing.  Videos were also sent from those who couldn’t attend in person, so STRB members were left in no doubt that Government choices have left the profession in crisis.

Watch and listen to our members oral evidence to the STRB below.

Photo gallery from February and March 2023 strike action rallies

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