NUT to strike against 2.45% pay rise

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) is preparing for its one-day strike tomorrow against January's pay settlement.

It believes the government was "wrong" to accept the 2.45 per cent pay rise for 2008, below the current 4.1 per cent rate of inflation.

Former general secretary Steve Sinnott, who died earlier this month, made clear his opposition to real-term pay cuts when announcing the strikes on April 1st.

"The government needs to think again and ensure that salaries at least keep pace in line with inflation and that there is recognition of the continuing workload pressures on teachers," he said.

"To bring the best young graduates into the profession, teachers' salaries need to be competitive with those for graduates in the private sector. Our children deserve the best."