Raising teachers’ salaries should thwart strike threatsPublished at 16:31
Branwen Jeffries
Education Editor
Reeves mentioned raising teacher pay in England to above the rate of inflation, which the BBC understands will be a 5.5% increase, backed by an extra £1.2 billion in funding.
This makes any industrial action extremely unlikely. The general secretary of the national teaching union said it was a “welcome step in the right direction” and that “strikes are unlikely this year”.
Many schools in England have already budgeted for a pay rise of around 3% from September – the £1.2 billion the government has pledged is intended to take that level up to 5.5%.
Given the rising cost of living, teacher salaries are falling.
According to the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies, the pay of experienced teachers has fallen by 11% in real terms since 2010. Over the same period, the average salary for all teachers has fallen by 6% in real terms and is no longer higher than it was in 2001.
The proposals will now be formally considered by education unions.
