Members of the largest teaching union in the UK have shown willingness to resort to industrial action to secure increased funding for schools. A significant majority of National Education Union (NEU) members who participated in the indicative ballot expressed readiness for industrial action, with over 90.5% in favor.
Despite the strong stance taken by NEU members, the voter turnout among eligible teachers was less than half at 48.6%. NEU’s general secretary, Daniel Kebede, criticized the government’s approach towards schools, emphasizing the members’ resolve to take necessary actions to safeguard education.
The indicative ballot launched by NEU on February 28 focused on key issues of teacher pay, workload, and school funding. Criticism was directed at the Department for Education’s proposal for a 6.5% pay increase for teachers over the next three years, prompting a rejection by 96% of responding teachers.
Following the ballot results, NEU’s national executive is set to convene next month to chart the way forward. Support staff members also participated in an indicative ballot, with 86.5% expressing readiness for industrial action, albeit from a lower turnout of 55.5%.
Kebede highlighted the challenges faced by schools due to prolonged funding cuts, leading to resource shortages and increased workload for staff. The lack of additional funding for staff pay was deemed concerning, potentially resulting in further cuts detrimental to children’s education.
In response to the situation, Kebede hinted at the possibility of national strike action to address the funding crisis in schools. This sentiment was echoed at the NASUWT’s annual conference, where delegates called for potential national strike action if the government fails to address funding gaps and reduce teacher workload.
Notably, recent pay rises for teachers have been incremental, with a 4% increase for the 2025/26 academic year following previous rises of 5.5% and 6.5% in preceding years. These adjustments came after the NEU previously took strike action to push for improved pay conditions.