Wales school strikes: Teachers and heads vote for walkout

Teachers and school support staff in Wales will stage a walkout for four days after members of the National Education Union (NEU) voted to strike.

The head of the NEU in Wales said a large number of schools could be forced to close in the row over pay.

It comes as headteachers in the NAHT voted for strike action - but the union said a walkout is a "last resort".

The Welsh government said it understands and respects feelings expressed in the ballots.

The NEU said teachers will walk out on 1 and 14 February, and 15 and 16 March, and similar action is taking place in England.

NAHT Cymru did not announce any strike days. It is expected the union would start with action short of a strike first, joining colleagues doing the same in Northern Ireland.

The news comes on the same day nurses announced a new round of strike dates.

Education unions are seeking pay rises that meet rising prices.

Teachers were offered a 5% pay rise last year but the NEU wants 12%. NAHT wants a pay rise that matches inflation, plus 5%.

A total of 92% of NEU teaching members voting backed strikes, with 58% of members returning their ballot forms - more than the 50% turnout required.

Support staff also voted to strike - 88.26% on a turnout of 51.3%.

NAHT Cymru said 75% of its members that voted supported strike action, while 95% backed action short of a strike.

With a 55% turnout, it also met the threshold required.

The NASUWT union failed to meet the ballot turnout needed for action last week.

Last month, Wales' Education Minister Jeremy Miles said he did not "have the resources" to increase pay beyond the 5% recommended by an independent pay review body.

With inflation at 10.7% in November, the offer was dubbed a "pay cut".

David Evans, Wales secretary of the NEU, said: "Our intent is to continue dialogue with Jeremy Miles as education minister, to see if we could resolve this without the need to go on strike."

He called for talks with Mr Miles and First Minister Mark Drakeford.

The strikes could see a "large number of schools being forced to closed", Mr Evans said.

"Not one of our members wants to harm the education of any pupil.

"So we're looking to see what we can do to try and resolve this dispute as quickly as amicably as possible."

There was support for the strikers outside Borth Y Gest primary in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, on Monday.

Nicola Ellis from Porthmadog said she totally agreed with it.

"People think… they get summer holidays off, they get an easy life, but they don't. You have to plan in the summer holidays. You don't just sit there and do nothing."

Another, Kasia Williams said: "Any disruption makes life difficult, if you're a parent or not. It's always a problem.

"But if it's planned in advance I think you can always make plans."

Rhian Williams from Minffordd near Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd, added that as a school governor from a different school she backed the strikers "because everybody has the right to strike.

"If that is what they wish and the unions have voted for it then I am fully behind them."

Laura Doel, director of NAHT Cymru, told BBC Radio Wales Drive the result showed "the strength of feeling - the frustration and the anger."

"Their pay has been eroded by 22% in the last 10 years. The [pay] awards that they do have are not funded."

She said there was a "really strong mandate" for strike action and action short of a strike.

But she added the union did not want to see "widespread disruption and closure of schools", and strike action "would be a last resort".

The Welsh government said it understood and respected the feelings expressed by union members.

A spokesperson said the education minister would meet unions later this week.

"In Wales we value social partnership and we continue to meet the trade unions regularly to discuss a range of issues affecting the workforce."

Welsh Conservative shadow education minister Laura Anne Jones said: "I am very disappointed to see that teachers will now be striking, along with nurses and other public sector workers, as a direct result of the Labour government's failure to support our schools, in Wales.

"Education is devolved in Wales, the levers are in Labour's hands. The education minister needs to get around the table and outline how he plans to better support our hardworking teachers."

Plaid Cymru spokesperson for children and young people Heledd Fychan said: "Plaid Cymru stand in absolute solidarity with all teachers and support staff who have taken the brave step to go on strike to demand the fairer pay settlement they deserve from their government.

"This Labour government have the cash at hand to make an improved pay offer to both nurses and teachers through unallocated funding and reserves. It's high time they showed some real leadership on public sector pay disputes, entered into genuine negotiations, and offered a fairer pay offer."