Rishi Sunak slams teaching unions threatening to disrupt exams this summer after rejecting ‘insulting’ pay offer

PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak has hit out at teaching unions who could disrupt exams this summer after rejecting an “insulting” pay offer.

National Education Union boss Mary Bousted insisted staff do not want to walk out on exam days, but refused to rule it out if her members turn the deal down.

Downing Street said it would be “hugely disappointing” if industrial action ruined the plans of hundreds of thousands of pupils taking GCSEs and A-levels.

A one-off payment of £1,000 for this school year and a 4.3 per cent hike next year for most teachers has been put on the table after weeks of talks.

Ms Bousted said: “We looked carefully at the offer and decided it was really insulting.

“What we hope is that, if the members do reject the offer, we want to go back to the Government and say ‘You have to do better’, reopen negotiations, and let’s see if we can get an offer that members will find respectable.”

Asked again about whether strikes will disrupt exams, Ms Bousted said: “We will plan more strike dates.

“We don’t want to disrupt exams and we will try to ensure that we do reopen negotiations.”

Smaller teaching unions including the NASUWT and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), will ask for feedback from members on the pay offer.

The headteachers’ union, NAHT, said its national executive committee will consider the details before deciding its next steps.