Teachers to protest in London over pay and conditions

Teachers are planning to march through the capital on Saturday to demand better pay and conditions from the Government.

Members of NASUWT, The Teachers’ Union, will march alongside thousands of key workers as part of the Trade Union Congress’ “We Demand Better” demonstration.

Organisers said it will be the largest trade union protest in years.

NASUWT said teachers are at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis, with essential living expenses surging ahead of wages and the value of teachers’ pay plummeting by 19% over the last 12 years.

It said research it has undertaken has found 91% of teachers are experiencing ever-increasing workloads, leading to 73% of teachers to seriously consider leaving their jobs.

Its package of demands, called the “Better Deal For Teachers”, includes urging for full pay restoration, tackling workloads, improving wellbeing and action on the cost-of-living crisis.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said: “The future of education is under threat; highly qualified education professionals are expected to work more for less pay and endure a cost-of-living crisis that continues to break records and push households into financial hardship.

“Teachers are seriously considering how much longer they can remain in the profession without a pay uplift and an urgent rebalancing of workload.

“The Government’s ‘tighten your belts’ approach to this crisis is not only a far cry from their transformational ‘levelling up’ promises for education, but it is also deeply insulting.

“The reality is that 12 years of Government’s own successive attacks on teachers’ pay has left nothing else in household budgets to tighten.

“We know that one in two teachers are already cutting expenditure on food and essential items. Teachers simply cannot afford further inaction from the Government.

“Teachers will not be ignored. Our members are united in demanding a better deal for teachers and their students.

“The Government and employers must do the right thing for education: restore the value of educators’ pay, tackle unsustainable workloads and pressures on wellbeing, and invest in our children and young people’s futures.

Angela Butler, NASUWT president, said: “Under the Government’s watch, teachers’ working hours, workload pressures and bills has gone up, but our pay covers less and less – it’s unsustainable.

“Too many talented teachers have already been forced out of the job they love, and more will follow if the Government and employers choose to not intervene.

“Morale in the workforce is at an all-time low, but the Government is mistaken if they think that means teachers will stand by and watch them dismantle our profession.

“Teachers, pupils and the country deserve better.”