Teachers strikes 2023 LIVE: Industrial action forces schools to close as train & bus walk-outs grind Britain to a halt
INDUSTRIAL action has halted the nation's education system as a slew of, school, train and bus strikes plunged Britain into chaos today.
Teachers across England and Wales staged the largest walkout seen in Britain for over a decade at more than 23,000 schools today as they protest wages and working conditions.
And the walk-outs took place against a backdrop of wider strikes across the country on a day dubbed "walkout Wednesday".
Some 500,000 workers have downed tools, with teachers, civil servants, train drivers, security guards, bus drivers and airport staff among the masses.
And today's schools action marks the first of seven National Education Union (NEU) strikes, which will take place throughout February and March.
Read our school closures blog below for the latest...
Rishi Sunak to face PMQs at midday as teachers take mas strike action
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be questioned by Labour's Keir Starmer and opposition MPs, on what's thought to be the largest day of industrial action in a decade.
Rishi Sunak was earlier pictured leaving Downing Street, on his way to the Commons for Prime Minister's Questions.
Credit: Alamy Ongoing strike action ‘will worry the public’ says Downing Street
Downing Street said the ongoing strike action was “deeply concerning and will worry the public”.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “We know that there will be significant disruption given the scale of the strike action and that will be very difficult for the public trying to go about their daily lives.
“We are upfront that this will disrupt people’s lives and that’s why we think negotiations rather than picket lines are the right approach.”
In pictures: Teachers march through Winchester
Across the UK, many will see similar scenes today as teachers take industrial action.
The images below show striking teachers marching through Winchester, Hampshire.
They are joining hundreds of thousands of public sector workers protesting across the country in the biggest day of industrial action for more than a decade.
Credit: Alamy 
Credit: Alamy 
Credit: Alamy
National Education Union calling for public support
The National Education Union is today calling for members of the public to pledge their support to those taking strike action.
The Union added: ''We do not want to go on strike – we want to be in the classroom, teaching and supporting our amazing children and young people.
''But there is a crisis of recruitment and retention within the school system, a decade of falling pay is a key reason for this and this needs to be addressed by the Government.''
Do you get paid while on strike?
As teachers and workers from various sectors take industrial action this year, we take a look at how strikes will affect members pay.
If you take industrial action, it is likely that you will be in breach of contract, which means that the employer doesn't have to pay you.
In rare cases, the employer can take legal action against you for the breach.
Keep an eye out here on our blog for all the latest on today's school closures and strike action.
How parents and pupils are being affected by the strikes
Parents of school-aged children may need to take leave from work, or arrange alternative childcare, if their child has been told not to come into school on Wednesday.
Jonathan Broadbery, director of policy at the National Day Nurseries Association, has also warned the strike could have “a serious knock-on effect” for nurseries as staff may struggle to find childcare.
There is a worry some parents could remain in the dark about possible disruption until the morning of the strikes as that is when heads will have a full picture of how many staff have decided to strike.
Former teacher blasts school strikes
A former teacher has been left furious over today's strike action and says he will be £250 out-of-pocket as he takes a day off work to look after his two primary-school aged kids.
Paul Long, who now works as an education consultant is sympathetic to the reasons for striking - saying "they have got a genuine cause" - however, slams the educators for getting "their audience completely wrong".
The father-of two says: "I will have to not work. I will have to take an unplanned day off work and that means that the money I would've earned on that day won't be made, and that's going to be in the region of about £250.
"But to put this in context that's not £250 that goes into my pocket. From all of that I've got to pay my own holiday pay like any self-employed person does, I have to pay my own sick pay.''
Read more here.
In pictures - Education workers gather in central London to march towards Westminster
Education workers have today gathered in central London as they march towards a rally in Westminster.
Credit: Getty 
Credit: Getty Welsh Government blames Westminster for strikes
Welsh Government education minister Jeremy Miles has claimed blame lies with the UK Government, as today's widespread industrial action begins.
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, he said: ''I want to reassure pupils and their parents that we are working with our partners to resolve the dispute.
"We have held a number of constructive meetings with unions and local education authorities already and there are further meetings happening this week in an effort to resolve the dispute. We don’t want to see schools closed so we are doing absolutely everything we can to resolve the dispute."
He added: "There are very real constraints on the Welsh Government’s budget because of the frankly disgraceful position the UK Government aren’t making enough funding available across the UK for public services.''
Union chiefs warn school strikes could last until summer
Union bosses have warned that industrial action regarding the education sector could continue until summer.
In bleak news for hundreds of thousands of parents, the National Education Union (NEU) said that unless ministers hike salaries, teachers will keep walking out of classrooms.
Joint NEU General Secretary Kevin Courtney : "We really want to resolve this before we reach the end of term but if there is no movement from Government and if members are still ready for it which I think they will be, then it could go into the summer term too.
"We are really hoping that we can find a solution before we get to that summer term but we do think it's important that the Government understands it could go on longer."
More strikes to hit Britain’s schools in February and March
Six more strikes will take place throughout February and March, as per the National Education Union’s plans.
Strikes on February 14 and 28, and March 1 and 2 will follow tomorrow’s industrial action.
Finally, nationwide walkouts in England and Wales will take place on March 15 and 16 if a pay deal has not been met.
Disadvantaged children will struggle to make up for lost learning
A National Audit Office report out today shows disadvantaged children struggle to make up for lost learning as fast as richer classmates.
Nursery bosses, meanwhile, said they would suffer “quite a serious knock-on effect” as their staff struggle to find childcare today.
Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said many parents will be “forced to work from home and take annual or unpaid leave to look after younger children.”
Credit: Reuters Could teachers face losing their job for going on strike?
With schools closing as thousands of teachers take industrial action over pay disputes, many will want to know if going on strike can jeopardize employment.
Employees DO have the legal right to take industrial action, and by law, and they cannot be legally forced to stay or go to work.
According to , you can’t be dismissed for industrial action if:
- It’s called as a result of a properly organised ballot
- It’s about a trade dispute between workers and their employer (eg about your terms and conditions)
- A detailed notice about the industrial action (which is legally required) has been given to the employer at least 7 days before it begins
After 12 weeks, your employer could sack you if they have made a legitimate attempt to resolve the situation.
National Education Union says 'education is in crisis'
The National Education Union which represents the majority of teachers in the UK has today said ''teachers are on strike because education is in crisis.''
They added: ''We don’t want to be on strike but education is in crisis and we must #SaveOurSchools.''
Throughout the morning, the Union has been sharing pictures of members striking outside their schools as thousands of education professionals take industrial action.
Why are teachers going on strike?
Across the UK, teachers have opted to take industrial action, resulting in thousands of schools facing disruption.
The reason behind the strikes focuses on teacher's pay.
Scotland offered a 5% pay increase, which was dismissed, with teachers wanting around 10%.
The Teachers' Union, NASUWT, is calling for a fully-funded 12% pay award for 2022/23, stating that with inflation above 11%, the current offer is nothing more than a pay-cut.
They want schools to get extra money to ensure pay rises do not come from existing budgets.
Most state-school teachers in England and Wales have received a 5% pay increase this year.
Teachers in Northern Ireland have been offered a 3.2% pay increase over the last two years.
Parent says 'under 24 hours' strikes notice 'is shocking'
Dad Jonathan Wilkie, whose child attends Glade Hill Primary in Nottingham, said: "I found out at 3pm [yesterday] that my youngest is off school due to teacher strikes. Handy.
"I admire teachers as coaches for the future and they deserve to be paid fairly, but telling us with less than 24 hours notice is shocking.
"Booking a childminder requires payment and if you don't use it, you lose it."
Credit: PA All the full and partial school closures in Northumberland
A number of schools in Northumberland have been closed or partially closed due to strike action.
Hexham Priory School – fully closed
Cleaswell Hill School – partially closed
Embleton Vincent St Edwards C of E Primary School – only open for childcare
Bedlington Stead Lane Primary School – fully closed
Guide Post Ringway Primary School – partial closure, closed for playgroup and nursery as well as Years 2 and 3, except for vulnerable children and for those of vulnerable workers
Seaton Sluice Middle School – fully closed except for vulnerable children
Whytrig Community Middle School – fully closed
Astley Community High School – partial closure
Amble Links First School - only open for Little Pebbles
Barndale House School – restricted classes
The full list can be found
'Pay up - save our schools' says one parent
Emma Rose, a single parent who was on the picket holding a sign which read ";Pay up - Save our Schools", added: "We had to work really hard to get over 50% turnout.
"Members in primary schools - we just don't normally have picket lines in primary schools.
"Most of our big secondaries - we haven't had this level of engagement before with the unions.
"I think the laws put in place, designed to stop us taking action, have actually galvanised us and made us stronger."
'So many parents pulling out their hair at 8am'
A parent, who did not want to be named, said she was advised to bring her kids to school as normal this morning - but to expect to have to take them home again if not enough staff turned up.
The mum, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, said: "Teachers don't have to officially tell the school if they are striking so it's difficult for them to plan.
"There will be so many parents pulling their hair out at 8am.
"Taking your children to school but then getting there to find out more teachers have decided on the day to strike - how is that allowed?"
Poll: Do you support the teacher strikes?
The first set of teacher strikes has taken place today after last-ditch talks failed.
More than 23,000 schools will be affected - with many shutting altogether.
Figures suggest that up to 150,000 teachers could be out on strike today and on subsequent national school strike days.
Do you support industrial action? Have your say in our poll below.
Teacher on picket line speaks out
Emma Rose, National Education Union district secretary for Warwickshire and national vice president, who is a languages teacher at Myton School in Warwick, said: "It feels like quite an historic moment beating the ballot thresholds the Government put in place.
"We haven't done that before as a union as the last time we went on strike that threshold wasn't in place."
Speaking from the picket line outside the school where she works, she added: "I think that just shows the strength of feeling that's out there with members.
"We're angry... and we want to raise the issue of what's been happening in education, what's been happening with education funding and the crisis that education is in."
NEU joint general secretary speaks on picket line in Warwickshire
Speaking on a teachers' picket line in Warwickshire, Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: "The Government have been running down our education (system), underfunding our schools, and underpaying the people who work in them.
"The thing that is making people come out is they're seeing disruption in schools every day."
He added: "They're saying you can't get maths teachers, you can't get chemistry teachers, you can't get computing teachers.
"Primary schools, where you can't find special needs assistants, because they're taking jobs in supermarkets where they are paid better.
"That's what making people take action - they're doing it to try and get the Government to try and improve the quality of education for our young people."
Credit: PA Union claims 85% of schools either shut or partially open
Around 85% of schools will be either fully or partially closed by strike action on Wednesday, the general secretary of the National Education Union has said.
Speaking outside Bishop Thomas Grant School in Streatham, south London, Dr Mary Bousted told the BBC: "About 85% of schools will be affected - either fully closed or partially closed - today."
She said striking teachers have received "many" messages of support from parents.
"We are very sorry that parents have been so inconvenienced by this strike action," she said.
"We know that for many of them it will be very difficult to get childcare.
"But we're also receiving many more messages from parents who say 'Well, something has to be done, my child is being taught by supply teacher after supply teacher'."
In pictures: Teachers picket outside partially-open school in Twickenham
Many parents and pupils will be faced with similar scenes this morning.
The image below shows staff at St Richard Reynolds Catholic College in Twickenham, London, staged early morning pickets on the front and rear entrances of the school.
The school is part open - and there were several teachers that chose to cross the picket line and go into the school after being asked to support the strike action.
Credit: n.c
