Bolton teachers have suspended strike action after the government agreed to talks

Teachers across the UK are suspending strike action after the government agreed to talks over teacher pay, conditions and workload reductions.

The strikes began in February and were organized by the National Education Union (NEU), formed by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Teachers (ATL).

Teachers’ unions are demanding full pay increases for all teachers without inflation.

Unions said teachers were overworked and underpaid, leading to a crisis in the education system.

Robert Poole, a secondary school teacher from Bolton and member of the NEU, spoke about why the unions decided to suspend the strike: “We are inspired by the government’s commitment to meet our demands for fair pay and better working conditions.

“We believe this is a positive step towards enabling teachers and support staff to provide the best possible education for our students.

“While we have decided to suspend the strike for the time being, we will continue to monitor the government’s progress and take further action if necessary.”

The government agreed to meet the teachers’ demand after several days of NEU strike, while the government had previously refused to enter into negotiations.

Mr Poole added: “We are delighted that the Government have listened to our concerns and finally agreed to start discussing them.

“We believe this is a much needed step towards improving the education system in the UK and we will continue work to ensure our students receive the best possible education – but that requires adequate funding.”

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