The British government agreed with teaching unions on Friday to start "intensive" talks to end strikes in England involving hundreds of thousands of teachers who say they are overburdened and receiving low wages. Teachers may be one step closer to ending a wave of strikes that have left classrooms empty for several days this year, putting pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to resolve the dispute.
Britain is experiencing the worst wave of labor unrest since the 1980s, affecting nearly all aspects of daily life due to strikes related to pay as inflation reaches its highest levels in four decades, exceeding ten percent.
The government and teaching unions stated that the National Education Union, the largest union participating in the strike, will commit to a "quiet period" lasting two weeks during which no new strikes will be announced.
In a joint statement, the government and the unions indicated that "the Secretary of State for Education will meet with all the unions today, Friday, to begin the intensive talks that will continue into the early part of the week," adding that both sides hope to reach a "positive outcome."
