UK teachers, civil servants stage 1-day strike over pay

25 April 2008 Copyright © The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of teachers and civil servants staged a one-day strike in England and Wales Thursday, protesting government proposals for pay raises below the inflation rate.

(From another report...

The union wants the 2.45% pay rise for 2008 lifted at least above inflation.

General secretary Steve Sinnott said: "I call on the government to think again and ensure that salaries at least keep pay in line with inflation and that there is a recognition of the continuing workload pressures on teachers."

Headline inflation was currently 4.1%, he said.)

The first national teachers' strike in 21 years disrupted about a third of schools across Britain. Teachers picketed schools and thousands marched in London.

All the main political parties condemned the strike, which saw about 400,000 teachers and civil servants stay away from their jobs for the day. Prime Minister Gordon Brown called it "unjustifiable."

The National Union of Teachers threatened to make the walkout the first move in a long campaign.

Teachers are demanding a 4.1 percent increase in pay. The government is offering less than 2.5 percent to keep a tight grip on public sector pay.

Also: Read article from BBC News- "Teachers vote to hold pay strike"; and article "Teachers' strike closes schools" on previous strike by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) (in March 2002) over cost of living allowances.

Questions

Imagine that you are an economic advisor to the UK government. Give your recommendations to the government on whether to accede to the trade union's demands for salaries to "at least keep in line with inflation".