Members of NASUWT teaching union reject UK government pay offer

Sat, April 8, 2023 

LONDON, April 8 (Reuters) - Members of the NASUWT union in England are to be balloted on industrial action after becoming the latest teachers' group to reject a government pay offer, the union said on Saturday.

It said in a statement that 87% of members voted against acceptance of the pay deal. A separate consultative survey showed 77% said they were willing to vote for strike action to achieve a fair pay award.

The government has offered teachers in England a one-off payment this year of 1,000 pounds ($1,241.30) and an average pay rise of 4.5% in the next financial year.

"The government's pay offer failed to come close to addressing the concerns over pay and working conditions of teachers and this has rightly been rejected by our members," NASUWT General Secretary Patrick Roach said.

Double-digit inflation has spurred demands for higher pay across Britain, leading to months of regular strikes that have disrupted travel, healthcare and schooling for millions of people and heaped pressure on the government to find a solution.

On Monday, the National Education Union, Britain's largest education union rejected the government's offer and set two new strike dates.

NASUWT, which in January failed to reach the legal turnout threshold to call strikes, had said it would ballot again to seek backing for industrial action.

($1 = 0.8056 pounds) (Reporting by William James; Editing by Mike Harrison)