Next weeks planned teachers strike in Wales called off following pay offer

The planned day of action by National Education Union (NEU) members in Wales, which was scheduled for next Tuesday has been postponed.

The move follows talks with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language and Welsh Government officials.

The National Education Union had scheduled three more strikes for February 14, March 15 and March 16 in its dispute over pay and conditions with the Welsh Government.

They are now on hold while the union consults with consult with branches and workplace representatives.

Kevin Courtney, NEU Joint General Secretary, stated that the willingness of the Welsh Government to engage in talks regarding the current pay dispute was in stark contrast to the position taken by Westminster and the Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan.

During the series of discussions, the Welsh Government has offered an additional consolidated award of 1.5% this year, along with a non-consolidated lump sum of 1.5%.

However, this offer remains significantly below the demands of NEU members and does not address the real terms cuts experienced by teachers since 2010.

David Evans, NEU Wales Secretary, stated that workload remains a major concern for members and progress has been made in addressing a range of workload drivers for the short, medium, and long term.

He added that the Welsh Government has signalled its intent to address the unsustainable pressure on the workforce, which will be welcomed across the profession.

Additionally, an agreement has been reached to review the Independent Wales Pay Review Board’s recommendations on pay for the 2023/24 academic year.