Teachers' strike: Lincolnshire staff join walkout

A march and rally was held in Leeds on Tuesday

Teachers in Lincolnshire have joined strike action in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Action by members of the National Education Union (NEU) is part of three-days of strikes in different parts of the country.

Staff in Yorkshire and northern England walked out on Tuesday, with a rally in Leeds attended by thousands.

Unions want above-inflation increases and extra money for schools to ensure pay rises do not impact school budgets.

Ken Rustidge, Lincolnshire Secretary of the NEU, said teachers were under enormous pressure.

"They are thoroughly disenchanted that they are having to teach subjects they are not trained in due to the shortage of teachers."

He urged the government to sit down and talk and resolve the dispute.

The Department for Education (DfE) said it wanted "formal talks on pay, conditions and reform", ahead of the latest strike days - but only if the NEU called them off.

On Monday the Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said they had made a "serious offer" to the union leaders to "get round the table and talk about pay and conditions and reforms".

She said it was disappointing the NEU had refused the offer.

"Instead of being sat round a table discussing serious offers over pay, strike action will once again cause disruption for children and families," she added.

The NEU said around 200,000 members would take part in action over the three days

However, the union said Ms Keegan should drop her "unnecessary pre-conditions".

Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, the union's joint general secretaries, said it was with "great regret" they were taking action.

"However, years of underfunded pay increases have pushed the profession to its limits."

They said the government needed to start proper negotiations.

NEU has estimated that around 200,000 members will participate in action across the three days, with the "majority of schools" expected to either restrict access to certain year groups or fully close.

Further strikes will take place across Wales and the south of England on Thursday.

More than half of schools in England closed or partially closed in the first NEU strike on 1 February.

National walkouts are also planned for 15 and 16 March.