Picket line at Pimlico Academy [Westminster NEU]

TEACHERS were on strike again yesterday, Thursday, with their union branding the walkouts a failure of the government.

The National Education Union members formed picket lines outside schools that did not shut down during the protest, including Pimlico Academy.

It followed a national ballot of teacher members of NEU with 90.44 per cent majority voting yes on a turnout of 53.27 per cent.

Around 200,000 members across the country walked out over the three days of action this week.

In a statement, NEU joint secretary Kevin Courtney said: “We have continually raised our concerns with successive education secretaries about teacher and support staff pay and its funding in schools and colleges. But instead of seeking to resolve the issue they have sat on their hands.

“This is not about a pay rise but correcting historic real-terms pay cuts. Teachers have lost 23 per cent in real terms since 2010, and support staff 27 per cent over the same period.

“The average 5 per cent pay rise for teachers this year is some 7 per cent behind inflation.

“In the midst of a cost of living crisis, that is an unsustainable situation.”

Teachers who marched against the government at a demonstration through central London last month told the Extra they are being priced out of the capital and are struggling to make ends meet, while trying to tackle excessive workloads and new pressures in their jobs.

The scale of that march meant it stretched from Eros at Piccadilly Circus way back to the top of Portland Place, with thousands demanding better – an impressive turnout given the missing train services.

Not all schools closed with each headteacher taking an independent decision on whether to close, or partially close, based on the number of members walking out.

According to leaked Matt Hancock WhatsApp messages, Sir Gavin Williamson believed striking teachers were looking for an “excuse” not to work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Labour, under Sir Keir Starmer, has told councillors not to join school picket lines.