UK Education unions warn Starmer Government against more austerity
From the National Education Union (NEU)
Today four education unions – ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT and NEU – have written to the Secretary of State, Bridget Phillipson, outlining their concerns about the inadequate and underfunded pay recommendation outlined in the Department for Education’s evidence submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body, published on 10 December.
The text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Secretary of State
Teacher and school leader pay
We are writing to you jointly to express our concern over your evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body for the 2025-26 pay award. We strongly feel that the proposals set out in your submission would further damage teacher recruitment and retention in England, and lead to more school cuts.
The unions have been clear that the 5.5% September 2024 pay increase must be only the first in a series of fully funded, above inflation pay increases needed to correct teacher and school leader pay. The value of teacher and school leader pay has been cut by over a fifth against RPI inflation since 2010, even after taking account of the above-inflation September 2024 increase. Our submissions to the STRB set out the overwhelming evidence on the impact of the pay cuts on living standards and on the competitiveness of teacher and school leader pay.
We were therefore deeply disappointed to see that in your evidence to the STRB you propose a pay increase of just 2.8% for teachers and school leaders in September 2025. Current predictions for RPI inflation from the OBR show that such an increase is likely to represent yet another real terms pay cut. Anticipated pay growth in the wider economy next year means that it is also likely to represent a further hit to the competitiveness of teacher and school leader pay.
Your letter to the education workforce set out the Government’s aim to build a fairer society and to deliver the best life chances for every child. You also reiterated the Government’s commitment to recruiting 6,500 new teachers. In your remit letter to the STRB, you set out a commitment to “supporting teachers to stay in the profession and thrive” and to raising the status of the profession.
All of these objectives will be undermined if the Government continues with the failed Conservative policy of cutting or failing to restore teacher and school leader pay.
Alongside excessive workload, the pay cuts have contributed to the recruitment and retention crisis that is doing such damage to our education service. Recruitment targets are being missed by huge margins and we are losing many experienced teachers and school leaders. Teacher shortages across the school system are damaging pupils’ life chances.
The recruitment and retention crisis will not be solved until and unless the Government provides the investment needed to properly value, recruit and retain teachers and school leaders. Pay cuts are the ultimate false economy, because they guarantee the continuation of severe teacher and school leader shortages and undermine the crucial role of our education service in economic prosperity.
In your letter to the STRB, you accepted that most schools will not be able to fund the pay award of teachers without making “efficiencies.” Senior leaders already go through a rigorous process of examining every budget line every year, and the reality is that any further “efficiencies” are likely to equate to cuts to provision.
The recent DfE report looking at school finances found that just 3% of primary schools and 6% of secondary schools described themselves as “financially secure.” The report showed that schools had responded to financial pressure by not replacing staff; reduced hours for teaching and support staff; appointing Early Career Teachers whenever possible; teachers returning to maximum class teaching allocations and middle and senior leadership team restructures. Forcing schools further down this road will reduce the quality of education; increase teachers’ workload and further add to the difficulties with staff recruitment and retention. We are further concerned that the publication of your proposals will result in schools making premature decisions that could adversely affect the jobs of teachers and support staff and provision for pupils.
The Government must not cut schools’ spending power any further because after 14 years of austerity – England now has the largest class sizes in Europe, the highest secondary class sizes on record and more than a million pupils taught in classes of more than 30.
We recognise that decisions on public spending are collective Government decisions and we would value the opportunity to discuss with you further how we might work with you to make the case for education to the Treasury and the Prime Minister. We are committed to working in collaboration with the Government to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people and we very much hope that we can find a solution to the issues highlighted in this letter.
Yours sincerely
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary, NEU
Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary, NASUWT
Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary, ASCL
Paul Whiteman, General Secretary, NAHT
- This was originally published on the NEU’s website on 12/12/2024.
- You can follow the NEU on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X and TikTok, and their General Secretary Daniel Kebede on Facebook, Twitter/X and TikTok.
- You can follow the NASUWT on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X, and their General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach on Twitter/X.
- You can follow the ASCL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X, and their General Secretary Pepe Di’Iasio on Twitter/X.
- You can follow the NAHT on Facebook and Twitter/X, and their General Secretary Paul Whiteman on Twitter/X.
Strikers blasted Labour for not including sixth form colleges that aren't academies in this year's 5.5 percent pay award
Sixth form college workers are taking on the Labour government (Picture: Guy Smallman)
Over 2,000 workers at 32 sixth forms across England struck on Friday—their third day of strikes over pay.
Labour snubbed teachers at sixth form colleges that haven’t been turned into academies by excluding them from a 5.5 percent pay rise.
One NEU union member told Socialist Worker that they’re fighting “an injustice” from the Labour government.
Around 20 people attended a picket line in City and Islington College in north London. “There is a reason why most people voted Labour,” Bogdan, a geography teacher, told Socialist Worker.
“They expected a change but Labour turned out to be just as bad as the previous government.”
Workers have already struck for three days—and plan further action in the New Year. Mike, who works at the college, told the picket line, “The pay review body told us to call off our strikes as the government is moving on our issue.
“But our national negotiators refused to call off our strikes. The January strikes are an important part of our strategy—our actions need to be maintained and rock solid.”
Pippa, NEU Islington joint branch secretary, echoed that determination. “We have to stay solid,” she said. “We can’t get cold feet, although we might have cold feet on this picket line. Unless they give us 5.5 percent we have to stay out.”
Trade unionists also gathered outside of chancellor Rachel Reeves’ constituency office in Leeds on Friday.
Another striker said in a speech, “The money to solve the dispute is £15 million. That’s tiny for the government. For them it’s not about the money but political will. It’s about the message Labour wants to send to markets and businesses—that it won’t bend to workers’ demands.”
Striker Marc told Socialist Worker, “The mood among the staff is as determined as ever. I’d like the union to escalate the dispute but the union might be timid.”
Rick, a politics teacher, said, “Politics is about justice and fighting for what is right. Now is not a time to compromise—our strength comes from our unity. We have real power. Sometimes it might not be obvious but if we join up with other teachers then we grind the system to a halt.”
Another striker said, “It feels great to be out on the picket line with comrades. It brings me a lot of joy to act collectively.”
She added, “It is a gesture of hope being out here. Optimism is a political act and you have to act like you can change the world.”
East London school strikers take on ‘dismissive’ management
Strikes at Selwyn Primary School and Connaught School for Girls in Waltham Forest
NEU union members on the picket line
Thursday 12 December 2024
Workers at an east London school are taking on management over workload, safeguarding concerns and how it behaves towards them.
NEU union members at Selwyn Primary School in Waltham Forest struck on Wednesday and Thursday—and plan to strike again for three days from Tuesday next week.
One striker told Socialist Worker that management’s style is “very dismissive”. “We don’t get answers or support,” she said.
“Teachers and teaching assistants have been covering classes and are expected to do extra duties on top of that. Management keeps on changing what they want from us and telling us things at the last minute—they think we can do everything.”
The striker argued that the school “needs more support workers—ideally one per class but at least one per year—to help with safeguarding children”.
A teaching assistant (TA) on the picket line told Socialist Worker, “I’m covering classes a lot, some weeks doing more teacher cover than being a teaching assistant.”
This is harming education for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send). “I’m supposed to support a number of Send kids but I’m being pulled out to teach—it affects the consistency that Send children need,” she said.
The TA described feeling “let down by the school”—and another worker on the picket echoed this. “Send children are struggling as they just come into class and sit in the corner. One teacher can’t handle a whole class and a number of Send children,” they said.
“Plans to support Send children aren’t being met. For example, if a plan says a child needs one-to-one support, it often isn’t happening.”
Another striker attacked Labour’s recommended pay rise of 2.8 percent next year for teachers and health workers.
The government said that schools would have to make “efficiency savings”—cuts to existing budgets—to help pay for it. She said, “We have made all the efficiency savings we can. We’ve cut back on resources and gone for cheaper things whenever we can.
“If you are saying we should praise teachers, give us what we need”—and that’s a proper pay rise.
One teacher said that Labour’s announcement made her “so angry”. “If you have money for wars, don’t tell me you don’t have money for schools,” she said.
She called on the NEU education union to take action nationally. “We are tired and squeezed at the moment. The NEU and all teachers’ unions should get together and fight for better funding and better conditions.”
The workers have also felt intimidated at times by management. After hearing that the NEU union members were striking, management went round asking the school workers if they were striking or part of the union.
“Some staff felt intimidated by that and so decided to go in,” one person told Socialist Worker.
Tony Phillips is treasurer of the local trades council, which brings together different trade unions in the borough. He said, “I’m here to support workers fighting back over any issue in these times of escalating austerity.
“I’m a parent myself and think it’s important that people are out here defending the quality of education.”
There was a lot of support from parents on the picket line, with many coming by to offer solidarity. One parent said, “You hear it everywhere about excessive workload. I think it’s a big problem.
“Too often workers are squeezed by management. It’s what you would expect from an academy chain.”
Strike at Connaught School for Girls
NEU education union members at Connaught School for Girls in east London struck on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The workers in Waltham Forest are fighting management’s failure to fulfil a commitment to reduce workload.
“They have been incapable of fulfilling their commitments to reduce workload and stress,” said a statement by Waltham Forest NEU.
NEU members have said that management has been undermining them.
“Instead of managing a school effectively they have chaotically squandered tens of thousands of pounds on agency staff due to weak attempts at harassing members,” the statement read.
“More time should be spent on reducing workload, not thinking of how to increase it.
School workers are set to strike on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week.
Hackney strikers say ‘trust teachers to do their job’
School workers at Haggerston School in east London struck on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of last week.
They are fighting against bosses’ attacks on working conditions after the school was taken over by an academy chain.
Workers are planning to strike again in January. NEU education union members at the east London school released a statement about their strike.
It said, “Before Community Schools Trust (CST) took over Haggerston School it was a popular choice for parents, carers and families in our local community due to our unique and creative character.
“We were promised that this would be preserved but we are concerned that this promise is being broken.
“Our English, Maths, and Science curriculums have been scrapped and replaced with those from CST—without any consultation—and we are worried this may be extended to all our subjects.”
Strikers also say that teachers are being encouraged to change their working style and aren’t “trusted” to use their judgement with their classes.
They also say that CST are only listening to management and ignoring the concerns of classroom teachers.
The statement continued, “We have been assured that CST are committed to reducing workload but in practice workload has increased at Haggerston since it became part of CST.
“New initiatives are still being introduced, which increase workload.”
And Socialist Worker has seen a letter signed by over 100 parents to the school’s board.
It said, “There have been very significant and swiftly introduced changes to curriculum and behaviour policies in particular, without consultation with parents.
“These changes have had a demonstrably negative impact on the school community.
“Whatever changes are made should build on the experience and expertise of current teachers.
“We are all interested in academic attainment and improvement, but not at the cost of a positive, nurturing and empathetic learning environment.
“The recent curriculum changes that have been made are also contrary to many explicit assurances from the school prior to becoming an academy.”
11 December, 2024 -
Pic from Labour Hub
Whilst marginally above the Office for Budgetary Responsibility’s predictions for CPI inflation for 2025 (2.6%), the figure is below the current rate of RPI, which was 3.4% in October 2024. Years of pay freezes and below-inflation “increases” mean that public sector pay is, in real terms, still below where it was in 2010.
And if Donald Trump's USA carries through its pledge of higher tariffs even partially, probably pushing other governments into higher tariffs in response, inflation is likely to be higher than the OBR predicts.
Major unions Unison and Unite have made oppositional noises, although neither has yet suggested anything like industrial action ballots. The union claims and submissions to those pay review bodies are mostly yet to be formulated.
The strike wave throughout 2022-3 led to higher settlements for workers than those initially offered, but those settlements were still considerably below the extremely high rates of inflation during those years.
During that strike wave, the workers who did best were those who launched sustained or indefinite strike. Workers who struck only sporadically for a day or two at a time ended up with poorer settlements.
Rank-and-file activists in public sector unions who want to win an improved offer will need to organise towards the kind of sustained action that could force concessions.
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