Strikes at the end of the tunnel?
First the nurses, now the teachers? The education unions are entering what could be an entire weekend of intensive talks with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan over their pay stand-off. The National Education Union, the National Association of Headteachers, NASUWT and the Association of School and College Leaders have all gone into the department today, with the NEU putting any more strike dates on hold in order to get the talks going. A joint statement from the parties said the talks would ‘focus on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction’. The hope in government is that these talks will have a similar outcome to the intensive negotiations with healthcare unions this week, which concluded with an agreement on a pay deal now being put to their members.
That deal for the nurses and ambulance workers has come under more scrutiny today after it emerged – or was extracted from a very reluctant government – that there isn’t new cash to fund it. At least not yet: as I revealed on Coffee House last night, the Treasury hasn’t agreed to any new money to cover what will amount to £4 billion extra spending, and currently it will come from a) ‘efficiencies’ in the NHS, b) ‘Department of Health underspend’ c) fresh negotiations with the Treasury for new cash if it turns out that’s necessary.
That would amount to tearing up the Budget, which has largely landed without much dust –something Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt were hoping for. The front pages this morning barely mentioned it – save for Labour’s uncomfortable position on pensions – and Tory MPs aren’t currently mounting a rebellion on anything. That said, MPs I’ve been talking to in the past few hours have suggested that the frustration over corporation tax may find outlets in other ways, including amendments toughening up the Illegal Migration Bill. Even if the unions are placated, there will always be someone on strike in Sunak’s own party.
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