Teachers are among 500,000 workers staging biggest strike in over a decade

At least seven million children face missing lessons today on the biggest day of strikes for over a decade.

An estimated 85 per cent of English and Welsh state schools – up to 20,000 in all – are expected to close their doors to some or all their pupils.

Parents were in limbo because the National Education Union urged teachers to refuse to say whether they would turn up for work.

Downing Street led criticism of the tactic while Tory MPs accused union leaders of ‘spoiling the lives’ of working people, many of whom will be forced to take unpaid leave to look after their children.

On ‘Walkout Wednesday’, the striking teachers will join 100,000 civil servants, 70,000 university staff and thousands of train drivers in staging industrial action.

A general strike in all but name, it is expected to cost the economy £200million and amount to a ‘mini-lockdown’.

The TUC says up to 500,000 workers will walk out, making it the biggest day of industrial action since 2011, when more than two million employees staged strikes in a row over pensions. Ministers are said to be furious with the NEU’s attempt to disrupt contingency plans to maintain education for children whose schooling has already been hit by the pandemic.

They are now examining French laws that require teachers to give 48 hours of notice if they plan to walk out. In other developments:

• 600 troops will be drafted in today to cover for striking public sector workers, including on airport passport desks;
• No 10 admitted the strike action would be ‘very difficult’ for the public;
• Voters are split over the strikes, with 40 per cent supporting them and 38 per cent opposed, an Ipsos poll found;
• The walkouts will leave Britain in a ‘mini-lockdown’ and cost the economy £94million directly, with hospitality taking a further £100million hit, the Centre for Economics and Business Research said;
• Unions representing 1.4million council and school workers, including refuse collectors, librarians, teaching assistants, care workers and cleaners, yesterday submitted a claim for above-inflation rises.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of schools forced to close by the strikes after about 40,000 extra teachers joined the NEU since industrial action was announced a fortnight ago.

It is required by law to provide schools with the number of members it is calling on to take action in each workplace – but it does not have to provide names.

It means many headteachers have been left in limbo about staff numbers, with some forced to close as a precaution.

The PM’s spokesman said: ‘It is disappointing that school leaders don’t have the clarity they need to plan appropriately.

‘That would give parents the information they need about what level of care their children can expect, indeed whether they will be able to send their children to school. It would help reduce disruption and help teachers and school leaders better plan to provide some level of education for their students.’

Jonathan Gullis, a Tory former schools minister, demanded that NEU leaders Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney quit, saying: ‘It’s unfair on the pupils. It’s unfair on parents and it does harm the teaching profession.’

Tory former education minister Sir John Hayes added: ‘Working people have got jobs to do, children to care for, and homes to run and they deserve better than having their routine ruined and lives spoiled in this way.’

Paul Long, a former teacher who will lose £250 in earnings in order to look after his two children today, said teachers walking out had ‘got their audience completely wrong’.

He said: ‘There are genuine issues with the education system that need addressing. What I disagree with is the way that they’re going about it through strike action rather than exploring alternative forms of industrial action which would be more effective.’

Union leaders say teachers have sustained pay cuts of 23 per cent in real terms since 2010, forcing them to leave in droves. The NEU is demanding fully funded above-inflation rises.

Dr Bousted said today’s strikes would have a ‘severe impact’ and warned ministers they had a month to come up with a pay deal.

Heads have been accused of refusing to make plans to cope with staff shortages despite guidance from the Department for Education. Ministers had urged them to prioritise vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers by using volunteers if necessary.

Government sources insist Rishi Sunak is determined to stand firm against ‘unreasonable’ pay demands which he fears will fuel inflation. The strikes are timed to coincide with a TUC ‘day of action’ in protest at legislation designed to force unions in key sectors like fire, ambulance and rail to provide ‘minimum service levels’ during strikes.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: ‘Our message to ministers is this – stop attacking the right to strike and start negotiating with unions in good faith on pay.’

The lecturers and university staff going on strike belong to the University and College Union.

Bus drivers working for Abellio in London and security guards are also taking industrial action.

Teachers across Scotland have already been on strike over pay.