NEU teachers march through Penrith in first of two days of strike action over pay

The first of two days of teachers strikes took place today with many teachers marching through Penrith.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) are walking out in an ongoing dispute over pay. They will also strike on Tuesday 2 May.

The Government has offered teachers in England a pay rise of 4.3%, with a one-off payment of £1,000, and starting salaries are to rise to £30,000 from September. But that offer was rejected by 98% of NEU members, who say those rises would largely come out of existing school budgets.

One teacher attending the Penrith march said: "I'm now working one day in five for free. I'm wearing second-hand clothes today. I don't get my hair cut anymore. I know colleagues who have sofa-surfed this year because they've literally not been able to afford to find anywhere to rent.

"I know people who've been sitting in the cold at ten degrees and I know people who've left, sadly. It's just not professionally viable anymore."

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: "We recognize that job that they do. They do it day in, day out, making a difference to our kids every day. So I wanted to make sure that there was a fair pay offer and that pay offer was funded and we will be funding our schools more than we ever have."

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