The Guardian ·
Union claims victory as ministers agree to fully fund pay rise for teachers in England
National Education Union welcomes news that schools will not have to partly fund increase from their own budgets
The UK’s biggest education union is claiming a significant victory after the government bowed to pressure and agreed to fully fund a forthcoming pay increase for teachers in England in a sudden U-turn.
Members of the National Education Union (NEU) were due to vote in a ballot for strike action next month over the government’s recent pay offer which provided for a 3.5% increase from this month, with an additional 3% from next September.
While the offer was a significant improvement on initial proposals from the then education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, there was concern among teachers and unions that it was not fully funded and schools would have to find almost a third of the wage increases from existing budgets.
