Thousands of teachers are striking across the UK on 17 October in a row over pay, pensions and working conditions.
The industrial action, organised by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT), is being staged in the north-east, south-west, south-east and London regions of England.
The main changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) include:
- The normal pension age for teachers will in future match the state pension age.
- Teachers’ pension contributions to increase by an average of 3.2%.
- Final salary arrangements will be replaced by a career average scheme.
- The index for pensions revaluation in service will be based on the consumer prices index (CPI).
- Pension accruals at 1/57ths.
Regional teacher strikes have already taken place in the north-west on 27 June, and in the east and west midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside on 1 October.
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “This action is not the failure or due to the unreasonableness of teachers. It is the failure and unreasonableness of the secretary of state, who day-in-day-out is disrupting the education of children and young people through his attacks on the teaching profession.”
A department for education spokeswoman, said: “We are very disappointed the NUT and NASUWT are taking further strike action, which less than a quarter of teachers actually voted for.
“All strikes will do is disrupt parents’ lives, hold back children’s education and damage the reputation of the profession.”