School leaders in England will be balloted again over strikes in pay dispute

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Government offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment for the current school year and an average 4.5% pay rise for staff next year following intensive talks with the education unions. This dispute will continue – the Government needs to recognise that and engage Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT All four education unions – the NAHT, the National Education Union, the NASUWT teaching union and the Association of School and College Leaders – have rejected the pay offer. This dispute will continue – the Government needs to recognise that and engage.” The general secretaries of the four main unions representing teachers and school leaders are due to speak together at a press conference on Friday in Telford to announce possible coordination of industrial action going forward. Speaking ahead of the teacher strikes this week, Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, told the PA news agency: “If there was any chance of other unions balloting for action in this term then we want to coordinate that.” He added: “The NEU action has had a very big impact, but more unions organising the same group of workers, also taking action on the same day, would increase that impact.” Mr Courtney added: “If I was Government, the prospect of ASCL and ourselves balloting, and maybe other unions as well, and the prospect that we could take action together in the run-up to their general election, if I was Government I would think we’d better do something to sort this out sooner rather than later.” The decision on teachers’ pay in England for next year has been passed to the independent pay review body, the School Teachers’ Review Body.