NEU and NAHT members vote to accept 6.5% teacher pay deal

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) have accepted the government’s teacher pay deal of 6.5%.

An electronic ballot of teacher members in England, to consult members on the 6.5% increase, opened on 18 July. 86% of members voted ‘accept’, on a turnout of 60%.

Teacher members of the NEU have taken eight days of strike action in England state schools between February-July 2023.

On 13 July, the government published the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) report on teacher pay. It recommended a 6.5% pay increase from September. 

Despite briefing that this would not be honoured, the government has now agreed to fully implement the STRB recommendation on all pay points and allowances. The increase was then put to NEU, ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT members.

The 6.5% pay increase is for teacher members in state-funded schools in England. The electronic consultation did not include sixth form college teacher members, who have also been in dispute with government about pay and funding. 

Another electronic ballot of support staff members in England, to consult members on the funding offer, opened on 19 July, and saw 85% of members vote ‘yes’ on a turnout of 46%.

Meanwhile a statutory ballot (or ‘re-ballot’) of 303, 331 teacher members in England to continue strike action, which opened on 15 May, saw 95% vote ‘yes’ on a turnout of 53.05%.

The electronic ballot votes mean that further strike action over 2023/24 will not now go ahead in the autumn term.

Members of school leaders’ union NAHT also announced that its members have voted to accept the government’s offer, alongside a reduction in workload and changes to inspection.

In an online ballot, run between 17 and 28 July, 85% of respondents voted to accept the offer.

However, the union has also secured a mandate for strike action. In a postal ballot that opened 15^th May and closed 31 July, NAHT received an 82% vote to strike, with a 54% turnout.

Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: “Our ballot results today clearly show the strength of feeling within the education profession that action is urgently needed. School leaders are reasonable people, and striking is very much a last resort, but our members have felt compelled to vote for action by a government that simply wasn’t listening.

“Fortunately, the actions of our members and the members of other education unions have forced the government to finally hear the profession’s concerns, and to make an offer that our members can live with. As a result, the prospect of co-ordinated strike action next term is no longer necessary.

“Although the pay and funding offered by the government is not everything our members asked for, it is the largest ever recommendation from the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), and the additional funding and hardship fund provided by the government to fund the pay award makes the deal workable. We will continue to negotiate on the workload and wellbeing aspects of the government’s offer.”

Education secretary, Gillian Keegan, said: “The decision of the largest teaching union, the National Education Union, to accept the 6.5% pay rise offered by the Government is good news for teachers, good news for parents, and most of all, good news for children.

“The deal brings an end to the disruption faced by parents and young people and means we can focus on what matters most – giving our children a world class education. That means tackling persistent absence and getting every child through the school gates every day, a relentless focus on closing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, and continued action to help young people make up for time lost during the pandemic.

“None of that is possible without the hard work of teachers. So as a new school year approaches, I am looking forward to working closely with teachers, school leaders and teaching unions to make sure we’re tackling the issues that matter most and delivering the education that every child deserves – wherever they are in the country.”