English Teachers Striking Over Pay: The July 2023 Pay Rise in the Long Shadow of the 1980s

Industrial action by English teacher unions from 1984 to 1986 and in 2023 focused on teachers’ pay, but the earlier dispute was followed by Conservative educational reforms which the trade unions opposed, whereas the latter secured a significant one-year award in 2023. Could the 2023 dispute constitute the reverse of that from 1984-86 and evidence of now stronger trade unions? Compared to what happened in 1986-7, the outcome of the 2023 dispute can be considered as a strategic victory over a combative Conservative government. The analysis of inter- and intra-union tensions also contributes to the contrast. Yet, the pragmatism displayed by trade unions in 2023 shows that the 1980s still cast their shadow on industrial action as the prevailing orthodoxy in education has since been determined by Conservative themes and priorities and as the party recurrently tightened anti-strike legislation.