The NASUWT - The Teachers’ Union is today announcing it will be balloting its members for industrial action over the failure by the Welsh Government and employers to give teachers a fully-funded pay award of 12 per cent.

The NASUWT is recommending that members vote Yes to taking strike action and Yes to support action short of strike action.

Today’s announcement comes after Ministers failed to engage in negotiations with the NASUWT, despite repeated calls to do so.

Ballot papers will be issued to members from October 27 and the ballot will close on January 9, 2023 with the result to be announced immediately.

The NASUWT’s campaign for a 12 per cent pay award for teachers will include ballots of members in schools and sixth form colleges in Wales, Scotland and England.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary said: “The NASUWT has done everything possible to seek a resolution to this dispute and to avoid escalation of industrial action in schools and colleges.

“The Welsh Government has failed to recognise the damaging impact of years of real terms pay cuts on the morale of teachers, which is fuelling the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

“The five per cent pay award for teachers and headteachers is unacceptable at a time when inflation is running at more than 10 per cent and it will result in even more financial misery for hard working teachers.

“Teachers need and deserve a pay award which will enable them to weather the current cost-of-living pressures and which will begin the process of restoring the real terms value of teachers’ pay. 

“The Welsh Government must ensure additional money is provided to schools and colleges to ensure thata real terms pay award is guaranteed for all teachers.

“The Welsh Government needs to act immediately to secure a better pay deal for teachers.”

Neil Butler, NASUWT National Official Wales said: “We shouldn’t be having to ballot in Wales. The Welsh Government has had control over education for the last four years and has had the opportunity to deal with the erosion in teachers pay.

“The teaching profession in Wales deserves better than this.

“The Welsh Government wanted full devolved responsibility for education and it must now tackle the root cause of the crisis in the teaching profession by delivering a better deal for teachers.”