Picnic to be held as teachers across Lancaster and Morecambe strike

Schools are affected across the district today and on Friday, as National Education Union (NEU) staff go on strike.

The family friendly picnice will be held amongst the market in Market Square from 11.30am until 1.30pm, and will include messages shared from members in London.

Sam Ud-din, local NEU secretary, said: "We all regret having to take further industrial action, but it is the government's briefings to the press about blocking public sector pay rises, announced by so-called 'independent' Pay-Review Bodies, while refusing to properly negotiate with education unions, that risk worsening industrial relations and dragging out the current dispute.

"The Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, wrote to us stating her reason for refusing to meet and negotiate with us directly was so that we should abide by the School Teachers' Review Body process: 'The issue of teacher and leaders’ pay will now be determined through the usual STRB process… The STRB process is well established and consistent with other public sector pay review bodies'.

"It is therefore deeply worrying to all those involved in the teaching and support of pupils in our schools to read that the government now plans to abandon the PRB process too and actually refuse to accept its proposals.

"The government is now directly responsible for unnecessarily prolonging and protracting the dispute.

"It is in everyone’s interest that the current dispute is brought to a swift resolution. The ball is firmly in government’s court. We urge the Secretary of State to publish the STRB recommendations without delay, accept the recommendations in full, with full, transparent treasury funding and engage immediately in meaningful negotiations with unions to improve this year's position too.

"The claims being made that below inflation pay rises will further increase inflation are clear nonsense, especially in the public sector where education and health are not sold and bought as commodities - though many of those wanting to profit from privatisation of both would like it that way.

"This government daily loses the support of more and more of the electorate - it can not continue for much longer on this path."