‘They’ve got every right’ - Merseyside public reacts to teacher strikes as schools close

Schools across the region have been preparing for the teacher strikes on Wednesday. National Education Union (NEU) members have overwhelmingly voted to strike for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise.

Teachers are not obligated to give advanced notice of whether they plan to strike or not, therefore, pupils and parents may not know until the day before.

LiverpoolWorld are providing rolling updates in this article on the list of school closures for the first strike day on February 1.

We've been on the streets of Liverpool to find out what you think about the industrial action.

‘I don’t blame them’

Shirley said: "I don't blame them. They need more money for what they put up with. The long hours.... and the kids are horrible."

‘They’ve got every right to go on strike’

Charles said: "They've got every right to go on strike. There stressed out and the pay is not enough."

‘I’m against it’

Jenny said: "I'm against it. Those kids have been through enough - the whole pandemic with no education."

Teachers vote to strike

For the ballot of teachers, in England, a 90.44% majority voted yes on a turnout of 53.27%.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies says teacher salaries in England fell by an average of 11% in real terms between 2010 and 2022 after taking rising prices into account.

As a result, the union declared seven days of strike action in February and March, though four will only affect any individual school. The first will be on Wednesday, 1 February, affecting 23,400 schools in England and Wales.

For more information and reaction watch the video above.