The first teachers’ strike in 21 years has forced many working parents to either stay away from work or find childcare, resulting in a huge cost to businesses.
Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) are striking over the government’s proposals to impose further below-inflation pay increases on teachers.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has calculated that the strike could cost businesses up to £68 million in lost working hours.
Sally Low, director of policy and external relations at the BCC, said: “This strike is going to cause disruption far beyond the classroom. Across the country parents are having to take time off work and find extra money for childcare to ensure that their children are looked after. The NUT and the authorities must sit down to resolve this before any damage is done to the economy.”
Members of the NUT are demanding a pay increase of 4.1%, rather than the current pay offer of 2.45%.
Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said that teachers’ patience has been stretched to the limit. “This is not just a one-year issue. After three years of below inflation pay increases the prospect for a further three years of the same is the last straw.”
Blower added: “Year-on-year pay that fails to keep pace with inflation has real consequences for the profession and our schools. It saps morale and causes problems of recruitment, retention and teacher shortages, not to mention real financial difficulty for our members. It is time to call a halt.”
