Teach unions to engage in “intense talks” with government over pay and workload

England’s main teachers’ unions are set to begin intense talks with the Government over pay, conditions and workload, paving the way for a possible breakthrough in a dispute that has partially closed many schools for several days over the past two months.

The National Education Union, which held two days of strikes this week, and three other teachers’ unions, along with the Department of Education, announced talks would begin on Friday and continue through the weekend.

Negotiations have been on hold since February after the NEU rejected a request by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to end the strikes.

However, with no further strikes planned and after a breakthrough in separate talks between health unions and the government, the NEU said it would not call any further strikes to mark a “period of calm” in hopes of a “successful conclusion” to talks to accomplish.