Teachers' strike: Yorkshire and Humber staff join walkout

Hundreds of teachers have marched through Leeds to protest over pay and conditions as strike action took place across northern England.

Tuesday's walk out by members of the National Education Union (NEU) is part of a long-running national dispute.

Unions want above-inflation pay rises and more money from government to fund the increases.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said it was "hugely disappointing" the strike action was continuing.

NEU members are also set to strike in the Midlands and eastern regions in England on Wednesday, and further walkouts will take place across Wales and the south of England on Thursday.

'Leaving in droves'

Russ Ballinger, regional secretary of the NEU Yorkshire & Humber, said: "Despite a full month to come to the table with concrete proposals on pay, Gillian Keegan has done nothing to resolve our dispute.

"Gillian Keegan has called a series of meetings with education unions in recent weeks, but her latest proposal was to meet only on the condition that we call off strikes.

"In the absence of anything for us to take to membership for consideration, we are unable to agree to these demands."

Staff on the picket line outside Guiseley School in Leeds

According to the NEU, picket lines were manned across the region, including in Hull, North Lincolnshire, Calderdale and East Riding, as well as in Richmond, North Yorkshire, Rishi Sunak's own constituency.

Speaking from a picket line outside Guiseley School in Leeds, Katie Armitage said: "Teachers are leaving in droves - there are statistics that about a third of teachers leave within the first five years - that is not sustainable.

"We need to act and that's why it has come to this," she told BBC Radio Leeds.

"None of us want to be out here, we all want to be in our classrooms teaching. I love my job but it's not sustainable as it is at the moment."

NEU general secretary Kevin Courtney called on the government to act.

"Let's have some discussion, and at some point we can put that to members to see if we can resolve the dispute," he said.

One participant at the rally in Leeds said schools were not funded or staffed appropriately

One participant in the march in Leeds told the BBC: "We are working against a system that is not funded appropriately - not staffed appropriately, and it's just a constant battle to give them exactly what they need."

Another said dwindling school budgets meant there were fewer resources.

"Resources don't just mean glue sticks and books," she said.

"We are talking about teaching assistants, who are so valuable to teachers, a school's ability to take pupils on trips and the care that you need for children with special needs," she added.

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

In response to the latest action, Ms Keegan said: "As a government, we have made a serious offer to the leaders of the National Education Union and Royal College of Nursing - pause this week's strikes, get round the table and talk about pay, conditions and reforms.

"It is hugely disappointing the NEU has thus far refused this serious offer and has not joined the Royal College of Nurses in calling off strikes.

"Instead of sitting round a table discussing pay, the NEU will once again cause disruption for children and families.

"Children deserve to be in school, and further strike action is simply unforgivable, especially after everything children have been through because of the pandemic."

'Last resort'

Greg - a 32-year-old project manager from Sheffield - said his daughter Daisy, 12, and son Harry, seven, would both be off school as a result of the strike.

However, he said he saw the decision to strike as a "last resort" for teachers and he was in support of them "getting paid fairly".

He said he regularly worked from home already and his wife, Helen, a marketing manager for a food and drinks company - had also arranged to work from home for the day.

"It'll be relatively easy for us, thankfully, we can both work from home," Greg said.

"I'm sure for others who don't have the option to work from home it will impact them far more."

Oakfield School in Hull is a day and residential school for pupils aged between 11 and 16 who have social, educational and mental health difficulties.

Head teacher Rachel Davies, said: "I assume all of my teaching staff will be unavailable, we have plans to manage that. That's a luxury that I have because of the relationships we have with the families."

Ms Davies said they had a "full day of curriculum planning in place" and were "working to minimise impact on the children".

This row over pay in England reached a total standstill last week.

The government said it wanted to move to formal talks, but only if the NEU called off this week's strikes.

The NEU, meanwhile, said it would consider calling off the strikes, but only if the government improved its offer for teacher pay rises.

That didn't happen - and so here we are.

Most teachers received a 5% pay rise this year, and last week the government suggested they get another 3% pay rise from September.

But the NEU argues this is not enough to keep up with the cost of living, especially since teacher salaries in England fell by an average of 11% in real-terms between 2010 and 2022, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Nearly two weeks will pass between strikes this week and the next national walkout on 15 March - so teachers, pupils and parents will have to stay tuned.