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Government urged to open talks with the largest education union to prevent national strikes
Members of the National Education Union (NEU) take part in a rally through Westminster to Parliament Square, London, as teachers stage walkouts across England in an ongoing dispute over pay, July 5, 2023

THE GOVERNMENT has been urged to open talks to prevent national strikes by Britain’s largest education union this year.

The National Education Union (NEU) members passed a motion today to hold a snap poll on a formal ballot after receiving the offer.

If it is rejected in the poll, delegates agreed that the union should move to a formal ballot on strike action.

Members also noted that “Labour will likely form the next government.

“While we will be able to work with a Labour government on some policy areas, we will need to campaign against them on others.

Last month, the Department for Education (DfE) said in evidence to the STRB that teachers’ pay awards should “return to a more sustainable level” after “two unprecedented years.”

In July last year, the government agreed to implement the STRB’s recommendation of a 6.5 per cent increase for teachers in England, and co-ordinated strike action by four education unions was called off.

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