NEU pauses strike ballot following £500m funding commitment

The National Education Union (NEU) has paused a planned strike ballot after the Government committed additional funding towards teacher and support staff pay.

The ballot, which had been due to launch on 3rd October, was paused following a meeting of the union’s executive yesterday, Thursday 24th September.

The decision followed negotiations with education secretary Lucy Powell, which resulted in an additional £500m of funding following a re-evaluation of the Local Government Pension Scheme.

The NEU said the additional funding addressed a £460m shortfall in school budgets associated with the 2026/27 pay award.

The union had registered a trade dispute with the Government on 17th July after previously raising concerns that schools would have to find part of the funding for pay increases from existing budgets.

Earlier in the year, an indicative ballot found strong support among members for taking industrial action over pay, funding and workload.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary at the NEU, said: “A pay deal without funding was never viable.

“We have been clear with ministers that their talk of hope and opportunity for young people counted for little without the investment to turn those words into reality.