School closures loom in Flintshire on Thursday as teachers stage second strike over pay

Teachers across Wales are preparing for their second strike which will take place on Thursday.

The planned action is part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

The National Education Union and the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) have rejected the Welsh government’s latest offer of a 1.5% pay rise plus a 1.5% one-off payment.

The NEU called the offer “simply not good enough” and said it failed to address the cost of living issues, inflation, and the “damage” to pay since 2010.

Welsh government officials, however, said the offer was strong but admitted the government was operating under “challenging financial constraints”.

Two further strikes are planned in Wales for 15 and 16 March.

The previous strike in January led to the closure of more than 40 schools in Flintshire.

A Flintshire council spokesperson said “The full extent of the industrial action will not be known until the day itself. We advise parents to look out for communications from their child’s school directly and to take the necessary action.”

NEU Wales Secretary David Evans said the union was “committed to seeking a resolution to this dispute on behalf of teacher and support staff members employed across Wales”.

“Our demands have been clear, and we will meet with the Minister and his officials as often as necessary in order to seek to secure a deal that will resolve all issues,” he added.

The Welsh government has made offers to address workload and reopen negotiations for 2023/24, but the NEU said these still fall short of their members’ expectations and needs.