Teachers To Stage New Strikes Over Pay Row

Teachers are planning a fresh round of strikes in October in a move that will affect thousands of primary and secondary schools.

Members of two teaching unions will walk out in eight areas of England next month in a long-running row over pay, pensions and workload.

A national walkout is likely to follow before Christmas.

The new strikes, on two days in October, are the latest move in the campaign by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the NASUWT over Government education reforms.

They said teachers were "angry, frustrated and concerned" by Education Secretary Michael Gove's plans, accusing him of being "reckless and irresponsible".

Mr Gove hit back, declaring there was "no excuse" for the action and accusing union leaders of undermining the teaching profession by suggesting it was in crisis.

Michael Gove insists he is trying to defend teachers from cynics

The union's members in the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and the Eastern region will walk out on October 1.

Those in the North East, London, the South East and the South West will follow on October 17.

There are no strike dates for Wales because the government there has tried to engage with teachers about their complaints, the NUT and NASUWT added.

There is anger that teachers' pay is being linked to performance, with schools setting salaries themselves instead of following a national framework.

Changes have also been made to public sector pensions.

Unions accused Mr Gove of failing to agree to talks, which they claimed had left them no choice but to strike.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower claimed Mr Gove had left teachers facing a "brick wall".

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates added: "This is not a reckless rush to strike action. We have been trying to engage with Mr Gove since he came to office.

"No one wants to be disrupting children's education. Our experience is parents understand that if you attack teachers' pay and conditions you are putting at risk children's education.

"Since June Mr Gove has taken to going from one public platform to another using megaphone diplomacy rather than sitting down and engaging frankly. It is a reckless and irresponsible way for a Secretary of State to behave."

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), which historically does not take part in industrial action, said it shared the organisations' "frustration".

General Secretary Brian Lightman said: "While ASCL and the teacher unions have different views on the best way to resolve disputes with the Government, we all are united in campaigning for the fairest working conditions and remuneration for teachers and school leaders."

Mr Gove appeared baffled by the row, insisting teachers' pensions were still far better than most deals and that pay reforms would see good performers receive more.

"I fear the reason is that there are people within the executive and leadership of the teaching unions who are for ideological reasons on some sort of kick," he said.

He insisted he was willing to meet with the union bosses for talks "any time, any place, anywhere, to get them to see the error of their ways."

A Department for Education spokesman added: "It is disappointing that the NUT and NASUWT are striking over the Government's measures to allow heads to pay good teachers more.

"In a recent poll, 61% of respondents supported linking teachers' pay to performance and 70% either opposed the strikes or believed that teachers should not be allowed to strike at all."

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