Teachers' strikes: What are they paid and will schools close? – BBC

Teachers across the UK are being asked if they want to strike over pay.
Some teachers in Scotland have already voted in favour of industrial action.
Most state-school teachers in England and Wales have had a 5% pay rise this year. In Northern Ireland many teachers have been offered a 3.2% rise over the past two years.
Teachers in Scotland have been offered 5%, but have not received it, as pay negotiations are still continuing.
Unions argue that inflation above 11% means these increases are pay cuts, in real terms. Thousands of workers in other jobs have gone on strike for the same reason.
Demands vary, but most unions are calling for an above-inflation pay rise. They also want schools to be given extra money to cover the increase.
The starting salary for teachers in England is due to rise to £30,000 a year by September 2023.
In the last school year, state school classroom teachers in England were paid an average of £38,982. This compares with £39,009 in Wales and £40,026 in Scotland. Northern Ireland's government did not provide a comparable figure.
For head teachers the average salary in England last year was £74,095. For other leadership teachers it was £57,117.
Experts in England advise the government about teacher pay, based on vacancies, shortages in individual subjects, and the competition from other graduate jobs.
As with all extra public spending, money allocated to England determines what funding is awarded to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Teachers from five unions in Northern Ireland have already begun action short of a strike – affecting school meetings and administrative tasks.
In Scotland, the EIS union plans a strike on 24 November. And NEU members who teach at sixth form colleges in England have voted to go on strike over pay on 30 November.
Other ballots are still open:
Elsewhere in the education world, a strike by lecturers and other university staff over pay, pensions and working conditions will go ahead on 24, 25 and 30 November.
In most schools in England, it's up to head teachers. There are no minimum staffing rules, so heads have to judge whether staying open is possible.
Welsh head teachers also decide, in consultation with local authorities. In Scotland, it's the local council's responsibility.
Northern Irish schools should seek approval for exceptional closures from the government. However, there has been no functioning government at Stormont since February 2022.
You have the right to take time off work to help a dependant – such as your child – if their normal arrangements fall through.
But you won't necessarily get paid under this rule, which applies to England, Scotland and Wales.
The Department for Business couldn't confirm that school strikes would qualify as a childcare "emergency".
It advised carers to check their contract for more specific guidance.
It may also be possible to take unpaid parental leave, but this needs to be arranged with your employer. It normally requires 21 days' notice and must be taken in week-long blocks.
In 2008, a one-day walkout by teachers over pay closed one in 10 schools in England and Wales.
Millions of children missed classes in 2011 when thousands of schools across the UK were closed due to a one-day strike over pensions.
Teachers in England went on strike in 2014 over pay, pensions and conditions, and again in 2016 over funding, pay and workloads.
Correction 16 November: An earlier version of this article was amended to make it clear that teachers in Scotland have not accepted or received the 5% rise they have been offered.
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