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21/04/2008
Teachers Stage First Strike In 21 Years
The global credit crunch and falling UK property values has seen money getting ever tighter, so that even the virtually unthinkable is about to happen and teachers are striking over pay.
Although planned for months, the current economic climate can only underline the sector's unfavorable view of a current pay offer.
Now, dozens of schools have confirmed they will close their doors on Thursday when the country's biggest teachers' union goes out on strike for the first time in over two decades.
The National Union of Teachers' first national strike for 21 years is in a row over pay. The NUT said three years of below-inflation pay increases would be "damaging" for the profession and make recruiting new teachers more difficult
However, while two-thirds of schools have now reopened for the summer term, this is leaving little time for head teachers to make contingency plans.
But even more troubling for parents are the many more schools who have yet to reveal whether they will remain open.
In a poll, 25 local authorities were able to give concrete figures and revealed 136 schools will close for the day. The worst affected areas will be Suffolk and Cheshire with 28 closures each.
Schools Minister Jim Knight said he was "disappointed" by the action, and that the Government had accepted independent recommendations for a three-year pay award with a 2.45% rise in September, and 2.3% in the two following years.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said: "Teachers should not be walking out. I'm very disappointed and I think that parents across the country are disappointed. I'm on the side of parents who will be disappointed if their children's education is disrupted on Thursday because we have decided to accept an independent pay review."
(BMcC)
Although planned for months, the current economic climate can only underline the sector's unfavorable view of a current pay offer.
Now, dozens of schools have confirmed they will close their doors on Thursday when the country's biggest teachers' union goes out on strike for the first time in over two decades.
The National Union of Teachers' first national strike for 21 years is in a row over pay. The NUT said three years of below-inflation pay increases would be "damaging" for the profession and make recruiting new teachers more difficult
However, while two-thirds of schools have now reopened for the summer term, this is leaving little time for head teachers to make contingency plans.
But even more troubling for parents are the many more schools who have yet to reveal whether they will remain open.
In a poll, 25 local authorities were able to give concrete figures and revealed 136 schools will close for the day. The worst affected areas will be Suffolk and Cheshire with 28 closures each.
Schools Minister Jim Knight said he was "disappointed" by the action, and that the Government had accepted independent recommendations for a three-year pay award with a 2.45% rise in September, and 2.3% in the two following years.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said: "Teachers should not be walking out. I'm very disappointed and I think that parents across the country are disappointed. I'm on the side of parents who will be disappointed if their children's education is disrupted on Thursday because we have decided to accept an independent pay review."
(BMcC)
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