Teachers Strike Bristol 2023
Hundreds of teachers in Bristol took to the streets in protest this week, calling for fair pay for teachers from the government to save schools. Picket lines appeared outside of education settings across the city. A huge gathering met in College Green before marching through central Bristol, returning for a rally.
More than half of state-funded schools in England were closed or partially closed for the day, according to government figures. The National Education Union (NEU) says it was actually 85 per cent of schools in England and Wales affected by the strike action. The NEU said that it was ‘no cause for celebration, but an indication of the level of anger amongst our members.’
The teachers’ strike came the same day as rail workers and civil servants.
Commenting on the members’ strike in England and Wales, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the NEU, said that teachers in schools and sixth form colleges in England and Wales as well as support staff, took action for a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise. The union says the government has short-changed them for over a decade, resulting in real terms cut to pay and ‘persistently unfunded rises’ which school can’t afford.
They said: “The legacy is all too clear, with schools having to cut services to the bone and a recruitment and retention crisis that is a detriment to children’s education every single day. One day’s disruption through strike action is dwarfed by the long-term damage caused by government policy on education funding, on workload, and on pay.
“Today, we put the education secretary on notice. She has until our next strike day for England, 28 February, to change her stance. NEU members do not want to go on strike again. They want constructive talks that deal directly with the long-standing concerns they experience in their schools and colleges every day. So that they can get back to doing what they do best, working with pupils in the classroom. However, be in no doubt that our members will do whatever it takes to stand up for education, including further strike action, if Gillian Keegan still fails to step up with concrete and meaningful proposals.”
The long working hours and poor pay are forcing teachers to leave the profession, causing one of the worst recruitment and retention crises seen in education.
Future strike days
Wales – Tuesday 14 February 2023: all eligible members in Wales.
Northern, North West, Yorkshire & The Humber – Tuesday 28 February 2023
East Midlands, West Midlands, Eastern – Wednesday 1 March 2023
London, South East, South West – Thursday 2 March 2023
England and Wales – Wednesday 15 March 2023
England and Wales – Thursday 16 March 2023
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