January 17, 2023 8.47 am This story is over 24 months old

Teachers to strike in Lincolnshire

Campaigning for a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise

Teachers across Greater Lincolnshire have voted to strike in February and March as part of the National Education Union’s ongoing campaign for an above-inflation pay rise.

The teacher members of the union in England and Wales, and support staff in Wales, have voted overwhelmingly for strike action. The ballot also successfully surpassed the restrictive thresholds set by government for strike action.

For the ballot of teachers, in England a 90.44% majority voted YES on a turnout of 53.27%. In Wales a 92.28% majority voted YES on a turnout of 58.07%.

The union is declaring seven days of strike action in February and March, although any individual school will only be affected by four of them. The first will be on Wednesday, February 1 and affect 23,400 schools in England and Wales.

The extent at which schools will be affected will be known in the coming days and weeks.

The full list of projected strike days are as follows:

  • Wednesday, February 1 – all eligible members in England and Wales
  • Tuesday, February 14 – all eligible members in Wales
  • Tuesday, February 28 – all eligible members in the following English regions – Northern, North West, Yorkshire & The Humber 
  • Wednesday, March 1 – all eligible members in the following English regions – East Midlands, West Midlands, and Eastern
  • Thursday, March 2 – all eligible members in the following English regions: London, South East, South West
  •  Wednesday, March 15 – all eligible members in England and Wales
  • Thursday, March 16 – all eligible members in England and Wales

Teacher members in sixth form colleges in England, who have already been balloted and taken strike action in recent months, will also take action on these days in a separate but linked dispute with the Secretary of State.

Three ballots for support stuff were also conducted simultaneously to the teacher ballots in England and Wales. The two in England, despite being hugely in favour of action, just missed the government’s restrictive thresholds.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education Union, said: “It is disappointing that the government prefers to talk about yet more draconian anti-strike legislation, rather than work with us to address the causes of strike action.

“This is not about a pay rise but correcting historic real-terms pay cuts. Teachers have lost 23% in real-terms since 2010, and support staff 27% over the same period. The average 5% pay rise for teachers this year is some 7% behind inflation. In the midst of a cost of living crisis, that is an unsustainable situation.”

She added: “The government must know there is going to have to be a correction on teacher pay. They must realise that school support staff need a pay rise.

“If they do not, then the consequences are clear for parents and children. The lack of dedicated maths teachers, for example, means that 1 in 8 pupils are having work set and assessed by people who are not qualified in the teaching of maths.

“Anyone who values education should support us in this dispute because that is what we are standing up for. It is not us who should turn a blind eye to the consequences of Government policy on schools and colleges.”


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