TEACHERS have announced they are to postpone next week’s planned strike action after receiving an improved pay deal from the Welsh Government.

The National Education Union Cymru has this lunch time announced that strike action that was planned for Tuesday, 14 February, has been postponed.

In a statement, the NEU said: “Following detailed talks with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language and Welsh Government officials, the National Executive of the NEU have agreed to postpone a planned day of action in Wales, which was scheduled for the 14 February 2023.”

NEU Joint General Secretary Kevin Courtney added: “The willingness of the Welsh Government to engage in talks with us about the current pay dispute is in stark contrast to the position taken by Westminster and the Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan. “We have now had a series of discussions in Wales where the focus has been on resolving the dispute, resulting in the current offer of an additional consolidated award of 1.5% this year, plus a non-consolidated lump sum of 1.5%.

“Whilst the offer remains significantly below our members' demands and does not begin to address the real terms cuts visited upon teachers since 2010, the Union will consult with our branches and workplace representatives to secure the views of members in Wales. In the meantime, next Tuesday’s strike action will be postponed until 2 March. Meanwhile, we will continue to press for a fully consolidated award and to seek an offer in respect of support staff members, who have also provided a clear mandate for action.”

Dealing with additional elements of the talks, Wales Secretary David Evans said: “Workload remains a huge issue for our members and progress has been made in attending to a range of workload drivers for the short, medium, and long term. We have conveyed our members views to Welsh Government, who have signalled an intent to address what has become an unsustainable pressure on the workforce and will be welcomed across the profession.

"There has also been an agreement to review the Independent Wales Pay Review Board’s recommendations on pay for the 2023/24 academic year. We look forward to providing detailed evidence of the effects of spiralling inflation and cost of living crisis to the IWPRB. We have been pressing for this review which is clearly overdue.”