Teachers in England and Wales vote for strikes in pay dispute

Teachers in England and Wales have voted in favour of strikes in a dispute over pay. Nine out of 10 teacher members of the National Education Union (NEU) voted for strike

action and the union passed the 50% ballot turnout required by law. The union has declared seven days of walkouts in February and March, but it has said any individual

school will only be affected by four of the days. The NEU’s Kevin Courtney described the outcome in England as “the biggest ballot result of any union in recent

times”. We regret having to take strike action, and are willing to enter into negotiations at any time, any place, but this situation cannot go onMary Bousted and Kevin

Courtney, National Education Union The first day of strikes will be on February 1 and more than 23,000 schools in England and Wales are expected to be affected, the NEU has

said. School leaders in Wales are also set to take industrial action over pay, but heads in England will not stage strikes after the National Association of Head Teachers

(NAHT) ballot turnout failed to meet the legal threshold. In England, 90% of NEU teacher members who voted in the ballot backed strikes, with a turnout of 53%. In

Wales, 92% of NEU teacher members who voted in the ballot backed strikes, with a turnout of 58%. Overall, 300,000 teachers and support staff in England and Wales were asked

to vote in the NEU ballot. Support staff in schools in Wales are also set to go on strike in the dispute over pay after 88% of balloted members backed action, with a turnout

of 51%.